Naked Time

...for Delia and the pets, that is. Naked time started out of necesity many months ago when a diaper rash just wouldn't heal. It's now become part of the well-established routine in the vanEagleGiessen household and, speaking for everyone, it is the best part of the day. Mornings and afternoons are equally chaotic with two working parents, a toddler and a dog. Dinner usually is often a tearful affair with the dog getting most of Delia's dinner. Bathtime is quick and efficient; moods improve as the layers of sand, snot, and food get scraped off. Then we all toddle down the hall to hang out in Delia's room (cat and dog included). We let the dishes sit dirty in the kitchen. Clinic notes and lectures wait in backpacks. The dog's bladder is about to burst, but no matter. It is the only time of the day where we are focused on eachother. We read stories, blow bubbles, terrorize the dog and decompress from our stressful days. Once Delia has nursed, we sing a lullaby and say goodnight. Then it's off to walk the dog, clean the kitchen, pack lunches, return phone calls, grade homework, do paperwork....