While you were out ...

The Doobies, creek-side, but nice and dry at the Birmingham Farmer's Market.

Hey Mamas, ever wonder what happens when you leave the kids in your husband's, um, capable hands? Lots. I've seen it with my own eyes. And, let me tell you, while it ain't pretty, it can be pretty funny.

We took the family to the Birmingham Farmers Market yesterday. The kids discovered a creek at the edge of the produce stands. They weren't alone. A small crowd of children had gathered on the bank to toss sticks in the water, float leaves down the creek and jump across a muddy opening in the bank that was about a foot across.

"Don't get wet, girls!" cautioned a father from a distance.

The girls, ignoring their dad, kept jumping. Mike and I kept watching, our eyebrows raising.

"Be careful!" the Dad said again -- from a distance.

The kids leaped again and circled around for another jump.

"Watch the water!" the father yelled, still from afar.

"Do you think that little girl should be jumping?" Mike asked, "I'm afraid she's going to fall in."

"No, but her father is right there. You'd think he'd stop..." no sooner had I uttered those words when...

SPLASH!

The little girl's jump fell short and she fell into the water. Fortunately, it was only a few inches deep. Unfortunately, she did a wicked bellyflop and was soaked head to toe. Mike hopped into the creek to save the flailing girl while I scanned the crowd for the father whose ass was going to get kicked when he got home. A sheepish Dad emerged, thanked Mike for his heroics and collected his dripping-wet, wailing creek-mucked-up daughter.

"His wife's not with him." Mike realized.

"Aha. Enough said."

I should have reminded Mike of the time he took Madan for a walk around the pond by our old home. He returned our son soaking wet. Just like Creek Girl, Madan had fallen into the water under Dad's watch. Even better, one of my neighbors was watching, too, and called me to offer a heads up. We laughed hysterically, then hung up. I quickly got some towels and assumed my best Chuck Norris stance at the front door.