The Cleaning Kids

Last night for dinner we ate a fabulous meal of chicken enchiladas, rice, and black beans.  Yummy!  It was declicious and I loved every bite.  Morgan, however, had a great deal of difficulty getting the rice to her mouth.  At the end of the meal, rice all over the floor beneath her chair. 

Enter the Cleaning Kids.

Madison and McKenzie explained to me they are the Cleaning Kids and they go to people's homes to help them clean.  Thinking we were onto something good, I encouraged them to come work for us.  I started washing dishes as Kim is clearning them from the table.  I hear a knock on the back door and see the Cleaning Kids standing on the patio with a broom. 

I shout, "Come in!  It's open!"

Madison and McKenzie walk into the kitchen with the broom and introduce themselves as the Cleaning Kids. 

"Well, hello!" I greet them.

"Good evening, mam.  My name is Karma, I mean Chloe and this is my assistant Maria," Maddie says. 

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," I reply.

"I see your floors need some work," Maddie notices.

"Yes, they are quite a mess.  Could you help me?" I ask.

"Absolutely!  We are the Cleaning Kids!" Maddie chirps.

I swear I am not making this up.  I can barely get them to make their beds and now they have a business and possible tag line.

The Cleaning Kids get right to work.  As Madison, I mean Chloe, sweeps, Maria moves the chairs around to make it easier for Chloe to reach all the rice.  They go from the kitchen area to the dining area and back.  Kim and I finish the dishes and retire to the living room.  Morgan joins the Cleaning Kids, who are being tremendously industrious while Kim and I watch the news. 

Soon the job is finished and the Cleaning Kids prepare for bed.  It is about this time that Kim and I notice how sticky the kitchen floor is.  I actually thought I might have stepped in something sticky and it was now on the bottom of my shoe.  We put the children to bed and eventually go to bed ourselves. 

The next morning, I walk into the kitchen and realize it is definitely the floor and not my shoes causing the sticky feeling.  McKenzie joins me at the kitchen table for a banana.  I mention to her how sticky the floor is.  With a giant McKenzie smile, she shakes her head and says, "Shiny too!" 

Something is up.  I can feel it.  The look of pride on her face is too much.

"Yes, it is very shiny.  How did it get so shiny?" I ask. 

"Mommy!  You know!  The Cleaning Kids came last night!" she says.

"Oh yes, that's right.  Do you know how they made my floor so sticky, I mean, shiny?" I ask.

"We used soap from the kitchen sink to make the floor nice and clean," she innocently explains.

I look over at the counter and there sits a giant, now half-full bottle of Palmolive that was apparently spread across my kitchen floor quite generously and without the benefit of water.  Oh my.  Those Cleaning Kids sure were cute.  Not very good, but definitely cute.