One day at midnight, Harlin had the urge to make the tea his mother would make him. This tea was exactly the one his mother, Patricia, made for him years before. He remembered his mother telling him that this was her only known knowledge of life on land. Harlin's parents, Rhys and Patricia were sea folk. They lived happily on a houseboat and stopped once a month at the lighthouse that was open to all weary travelers. They would call Harlin and his family whenever they reached land. Just recently, Harlin received a call from them. He decided that the Hopscotch Rabbit Family would go give them a surprise visit!
At dinner he told his family about the surprise trip. They would drive all the way to Sea Breeze Cape. It was a day’s drive. “Yes! We get to see grandpa and grandma!” Skip cheered.
The children rarely saw them because of how they traveled at sea and the drive was very long. “Wait! What about the babies and the Chiffon Dog children?” Bell inquired, “Our new tenants aren’t adults.”
Heidi sighed and said she’ll ask Teri. She picked up the phone and called, “Hi Teri! I need, like a gigantic favor.”
Teri replied, “Oh, I know that voice. What is it?”
Heidi gave a nervous chuckle, “Hehehe, well I need you to watch all the new babies and the Chiffon Dog children.”
“What?! Why? Where are you going?” asked Teri, who was moderately shocked, her younger sister never went anywhere.
“Harlin decided he would surprise Rhys and Patricia by visiting them! Can you please watch them? It’ll only be for 4 days, a week tops, please,” Heidi mentioned enthusiastically.
“Oh fine Heidi, I’ll watch them. Now please cook some food before you leave.”
Heidi assured, “Of course, I will. See you tomorrow, sis and thanks!”
“The plans are set!” announced Heidi after dinner, “Now everyone must behave themselves. Whether you are going or not. We’re leaving tomorrow morning, so we’ll probably be gone when you two are asleep. There’s plenty of food in the kitchen and Harlin already restocked on everything.”
Karen and David nodded. They were allowed to be home alone for 4 days, they knew this was going to be so fun! Heidi told them what they needed to do for the babies and where she put all the food. "Be careful when you heat it up," warned Heidi.
David said, "You're worrying too much, we'll be fine. Our parents taught us many important life skills before."
Heidi smiled, "I understand. I'm just worried, you're so little and will be alone with babies and it's just scary."
"It is okay to be worried, Mrs. H. Choch. We'll listen to all your instructions. If you want just leave a little note with instructions and everything," suggested Karen.
Heidi rushed away and wrote down which food would be what meal and how to care for the babies. Though it was very late Teri, Freya and Breeze had came over to check up on everyone. Teri even brought Breeze’s piano for a goodbye song. The piano was safely stored in the Cherry Cruiser's trunk.
The babies went upstairs to play and the children went to the second floor. Harlin briefed Teri on everything that happened. Teri praised, "Wow, sounds fun! Don't forget to tell me EVERYTHING when you get back."
"Of course," Harlin laughed.
Then Teri and her family went back to the Lakeside Lodge. Everyone else went to bed with happiness filling their hearts.
Early in the morning the alarm clock at the mantelpiece went off. Harlin rushed down and turned it off. It was around 7:45A.M. The sun was going to be up soon. He awoke his family and they ate a quick breakfast, Heidi took some tarts and the pizza Teri gave them and put them in the back of the car. Honey started crying, so Heidi brought Teddy and Teda. Honey even insisted on strapping in Teddy. "Mama, you have to. Teddy will get hurt and Teda can be next to him," Honey insisted.
Then she gave Hopper, Sharko and his steamboat. Everyone was allowed to bring 1 item. Bell brought her notebook and pencil and Skip brought the book about camping. Heidi read the map while Harlin drove.
David woke up first and went upstairs. The babies were fast asleep and the Hopscotch Rabbit Family had left. He started heating up the donuts. He also made some Earl Grey tea. Karen woke up as David was setting the table and said she was going to take a shower. After breakfast, the rest of the babies had awoken. Cries had filled the house. Luckily, Teri had arrived. "What's going on?" she asked.
"I was just about to have breakfast when they started crying," David explained, "I think they smelled the donuts I was heating up."
Karen had came down, she added, "And they usually wake up at this time of day."
Teri went upstairs to tend to them with Freya following. Karen started a warm fire and each baby was brought upstairs to the third floor to eat. Teri unlatched the Nightlight Nursery's cradle door and brought Olive and Henry to eat.
Freya had started giving a bottle to Ginni. Karen came upstairs with a heated up baby meal. Meals were received weekly with a week's worth of food and milk from the Rainbow Nursery. Mayor Cuddlebear had said before that every baby should receive food even if they didn't attend nursery school. All you had to do was heat them up and serve. As the babies were being fed, Karen and David were eating breakfast. Freya came down and grabbed a donut for herself and everything was peaceful.
The afternoon was just studying and caring for the babies until it was time for their nap. David decided he would nap first before he had to study. "You'll sleep right through the studying time," lectured Karen.
David laughed, "Me? Never!"
Teri and her family had returned home to the Lakeside Lodge because she had some cleaning to do. “‘I'll be back tomorrow,” promised Teri.
After Karen finished her science work she put Ginni on the stroller and started pushing her. She made sure not to push too hard, so it wouldn't end up like the last time Skip pushed Honey. After the stroller ride, she took Henry on one too.
After all the babies had their ride, Karen went up to check on David. She was not surprised at all to find him still napping. To her amusement it was already dinnertime and David still hadn’t woken up. Finally, David woke up panicking that he had not done anything all day! Karen pointed out, “See! I was right!”
“Yes, you were,” mumbled David, “At least there aren’t any adults here. Now where’s dinner?”
“I heated up the carrot soup and some biscuits with salt and pepper,” replied Karen. Karen had always been the brightest critter in the “group” and she was much more responsible than her older brother. Dinner had ended and Karen suggested playing a few games. A few turned to a lot and by 11 they still were up. If it weren’t for their tiredness the two could’ve been up all night. This was going to be a fun 4 days!
What fun! I love road trips!