Honey’s Bathtime

One day, Natalie Tuxedo Cat was especially free, but Heidi was not. The two wanted to gossip and talk for hours, but Heidi was met with the constraints of having many many more children in her house than Natalie did.

“I can help you,” Natalie offered in good nature, so Heidi took her up on her offer.

They were right in front of a sunny window in front of the bathtub. Honey and Hopper were due for a bath under the watchful supervision of their mother.

“Oh! How do they enjoy bath time so much?” Natalie praised when she saw Honey giggling loudly in the tub.

Hopper, meanwhile, was popping many soapy bubbles clumsily.

Heidi was taken back by surprise. It wasn’t always that she was asked that question! Seeing Heidi’s expression, Natalie explained, “Olive is always so fussy about bath time unless it’s the perfect temperature.”

“Hopper has actually always liked bathing, because he gets to explore something new with the bubbles and tub. Honey has not. She was tricky.”

“Oh, do tell me. This is a good one. I know it,” Natalie urged.

*FLASHBACK TO A YEAR AGO*

“Oh, Honey. It’s not that bad, just try it,” Heidi pressed on a screaming Honey. Her limbs were flailing at the first touch of the bathtub water.

“Now, let Daddy try. Come on, my Honey dear. It’s okay,” Harlin said in his sugar-coated voice. Meanwhile, Hopper, Honey’s twin, had long since been dried, dressed, and put to sleep.

“Oh, I guess I’ll just have to sponge her down gently,” Heidi decided.

“This can’t go on,” Harlin deduced.

So, the couple tried various things to coax Honey into a peaceful bathtime. One day, they tried timing a warm bottle just before bathtime. Heidi really had her hopes up. Honey was carefully sipping the warm bottle. She finished, and Heidi slowly undressed her baby girl for the bath. Things were going fine until Honey went into the tub.

She wailed so loudly that the children downstairs could hear her over the sound of the television program. Heidi quickly bathed her baby, before drying Honey off to put her to bed. Another fruitless attempt.

The children decided they must do something. In the spirit of all good laughs, Skip decided to make funny faces at his baby sister while she was being lathered with soap.

She saw them as odd and her cries merely intensified.

Bell simply shook her head. Skip always seemed to think the solution was laughter. What this problem needed was a sister’s touch. So, Bell sat there in thought, but was completely out of ideas on a lazy Sunday afternoon. She decided to clear her mind a bit and picked up the day’s newspaper.

The news was captivating. There was mention of a new moving in of a Red Panda Family. A critter was interviewed on the best season to buy bell peppers. The mayor delivered a speech on the importance of our children’s well-being. And then there were the occasional advertisements. How else would Calico Times be funded to deliver such comprehensive articles? There was an advertisement for a buy one get one free deal of milk at the grocery store, and another 15% discount on cars. Tucked in the far right corner, not lavishing with bold text, was a small ad for bath toys. Two different types of be exact: a shark of a clean teal color and a pink bunny dressed in a buoyant tutu. They were adorable, even to Bell. The fine print informed that the Toy Shop was carrying out this new product line. Curious, Bell asked her father, happening to be setting the dinner table, if he knew of this.

“Of course, Bell. I’ve been stocking up on those all week. Aren’t you a little too old for these, though?” Harlin teased.

Bell, a bit surprised her father wouldn’t have thought of it, just brought up, “Well, maybe not for me, but what about for the babies? Just think at Honey receiving such a cute new bath toy.”

It struck Harlin like eureka!

“Of course,” he said with almost a slight bounce in his foot, as if he wanted to drive to the shop this very minute. “I’ll get a set for Honey and Hopper right away tomorrow.”

Bell smiled as she put the newspaper back in the living room.

She was confident this time it would work. All of dinner, Heidi complained, “Ugh, what will we ever do about Honey?”

Bell, not sure whether to bring her mother’s hopes up, simply told her, “Let’s be patient and keep trying. Dad and I might have a solution by tomorrow. It’s nothing too promising, just an idea.”

“An idea is better than nothing,” Heidi replied before taking a bite out of her scrumptious looking carrot.

Monday came faster than Bell knew it. She couldn’t focus at all on the arithmetic or the story she read to the babies. All she could do was turn to look at the clock for the time her father would arrive, or turn to look out the window to spot the Cherry Cruiser.

The door swung open, and Bell rushed to greet her father.

“Hello, everyone,” Harlin said.

“So how was your day, dear?” Heidi asked.

“Excellent! I have a little surprise for Honey and Hopper.” Harlin took out a big blue gift box wrapped with pink ribbon.

“What’s the occasion?” Heidi pondered.

“Nothing. Just a little something that might help Honey’s troubles.”

Skip brought Honey and Hopper down. They rushed to pull at the pink ribbon lace with utter joy. Hopper saw the shark first and veered towards it. He laughed.

Honey saw the bunny next and her eyes seemed to glow. It was a beautiful bunny with a tone of pink matching her clothes. It was dressed in the most elegant teal tutu there was.

The next day, Heidi put the two twin babies to the tub along with their toys. Honey only laughed and played with her toy all throughout soaping, washing, and drying.

From that point on, Honey grew to love bath time, always giggling the moment her hands clasped on her Ballerina Bunny. Hopper was also quite happy, having scored a new toy to boost his already high happiness of bathtime.