We have two drawers in the kitchen that are specifically appointed to hold plastic cups for the girls. Sippy cups, sports cups, tumblers. You name it, it’s in there. And chances are? If it’s a sippy cup? It’s missing that little plastic piece that you stick in the top to keep the beverage from leaking out all over the place. Like in the car, on the way to the airport. In a carseat that’s just been laundered and reinstalled. By me.

My husband asked me a couple of days ago to please, no longer have anything to do with the dishes. No washing them or rinsing them. No loading them into the dishwasher. No unloading them from the dishwasher. And it’s not out of the kindness of his own heart. He’s irritated with me. Because I put those plastic cups away in pieces. He has requested on several occasions that I put them back in the drawer whole. Put the little plastic piece in the top. Screw the top on. Place them in the drawer.

Apparently, I have not done this. And he has had enough. Mind you, I think I’ve done this. I think I put them back together before storing them. But he requested again, yesterday, that I stop touching dishes that are in any step of the cleaning process.

No problem.

But I did take it upon myself to go through the drawers and toss old cups that had chewed up spouts or missing plastic parts or just looked well beyond their expiration date. And there were a lot of them. We are now running low on plastic cups for the girls. So I could get myself to Target and load up on new ones. Or, I could finally take that step. You know. Order those. The ones that people have been raving about. For so many reasons, too. The colors, the designs, the health factor (they are BPA-free, which I suppose is the new “word”), the “green” angle. Oh, and let’s not forget the cost. Because while they might seem a little pricy, really, think about it. How many cases of bottled water do you go through in one year? How many sippy cups or some other form of plastic child-proof cups do you buy in one year? For me? A lot. Too much. Do you know where I’m going with this? Yes, I would be talking about Sigg water bottles. Those charming and functional little pieces of Swiss-designed heaven that are gentle on the planet and will dramatically cut costs in this house in terms of plastic gear and bottled water. I’ve been reading about them for so long now. Just kept resisting the urge to buy them. And I don’t know why I couldn’t bring myself to place an order. I love to shop. I hate buying bottled water at the grocery store. Does anyone else know someone who has a fundamental inability to finish a bottle of water before taking a fresh one out of the refrigerator? Because I know one of those people. And I’m not naming names. But when this person leaves my home? There are 3/4-full water bottles everywhere. Including in my garbage can. Even though I am the Queen of Recycling. And have told this person over and over again that it’s “right side, recyclables and left side, trash.”

I ordered the 13.5-oz. bottles for Pea. “Horse Ranch” and “Lillifee Ballet.” And for Coco I ordered the 10-oz. bottles. “Circus Circus” and “Lillifee Unicorn.” I also ordered a handle to put on Coco’s cups. She’s still working the sippy cups with the handles pretty hardcore.

Pea is off to camp shortly. Last year, I sent her with a small bottle of Ozarka water in her lunch. Kid-sized. Convenient. But this year? I’ll be sending her with water from our filtered faucet in a Sigg cup. I’ll then be taking Coco to the park with her own little Sigg bottle filled with water. But seeing as I only purchased two cups for each girl? Looks like I might need to get back in the kitchen several times a week to wash them. Hope my husband can cope with that…