Alexis and my niece are playing in Alexis' bedroom.
I am in my room, helping Chloe with a project we have sprawled out on the floor.
Alexis and my niece have decided that Alexis will spend the night over at my niece's house and so Alexis is gathering her things to take for the sleep-over.
They are goofing off.
It is getting later and later by the minute.
They are getting out toys and playing and I can hear the ruckus from my room.
I scream, really loud and speak really fast, "Alexis. You need to get your stuff. You need to get your stuff together. You need to get your pajamas and your toothbrush and your underwear and whatever toys you want to take with you. And ... you are not going anywhere until you clean up that mess you two have made in that room," I say this all very fast - I say it and I mean it.
Chloe looks over at me from across my room with a look that says, "Could you be anymore obnoxious?" and it makes me smile.
I hear some scrambling going on down the hallway in Alexis' room and then I hear her say, very casually, and a little uppity, "Well ... you don't have to yell," and she mocks me, "Yada, yada, yada - yada, yada, yada ..."
The moment we heard her, Chloe's eyes met mine and we both fell back on the floor laughing.
On the upside ... Sometimes - I just need to ... simmer down!