Staycation

Summary
Arthur offers to babysit Kate so that his parents can enjoy some peace and quiet in the backyard. What could go wrong? With D.W. on the loose... just about everything!

Plot
Arthur and D.W. fight off slime, giant mice, and bats inside the house with water guns. D.W. wants to call their parents for help, but Arthur refuses. In the backyard, Jane and David say that they don't hear anything, as the screaming continues inside the house.

Staycation

Jane and David dance about going camping for two days. D.W. thinks it's "mean" that her parents are going without her, but Arthur thinks that they'll feel guilty and bring home presents. David explains that Thora will be babysitting them. Just then, they get a call from Thora that her plane flight home has been canceled and she will not be able to board another one until next weekend, so Jane and David have to cancel their camping trip.

While feeding some birds in her room, D.W. notices how sad her parents are and wants to give them a vacation. She and Arthur set up a tent in the backyard and tell Jane and David that they could spend their weekend camping there. Jane says that two days is too long for kids their age to be alone, so she and David decide to spend just the day instead. Jane takes the baby monitor to check in with Arthur and D.W. as well. She tells Arthur that he's in charge, and D.W. is the "communications officer."

D.W. starts recording a log of the staycation, before being interrupted by Arthur that Kate's diaper needs changing. D.W. wants to call for help, but Arthur remembers that they've done it before. While Arthur is changing Kate, D.W. takes Kate's used diaper and flushes it down the toilet.

During the second hour, Arthur cannot turn on the TV. D.W. wants to call her parents again, but Arthur shows her that they are having fun and enjoying their vacation. He invites Brain to the house, who "fixes" the TV by changing the battery in the remote. He also upgrades the computer so that the lights can be controlled from it. D.W. notes that Buster, wearing an alien mask, is visiting as well.

D.W. goes back up to her room to feed the birds again, while Arthur toasts some bread for Buster. He is interrupted when D.W. shouts at yet another emergency, which turns out to be a bird in her room. She lets Arthur and Buster deal with it while she hides in the bathroom, where she flushes the toilet. The toilet clogs due to Kate's diaper, and starts overflowing. Meanwhile, Brain tests out the computer-controlled lights, which turn off. Buster turns on the lights from his alien mask to help D.W. with the toilet. Downstairs, the smoke alarm sets off from the toast Arthur made for Buster, which wakes up Kate.

Despite even more birds flying into the house, Arthur is insistent that the situation is not an emergency. He quickly changes his mind and sends D.W. out into the hallway to grab the phone and call their parents.

After fixing everything, Arthur, D.W., David, Jane, Kate, Brain, and Buster all have a staycation in the backyard at night. D.W. is still the communications officer, although her parents hope for no more emergencies or surprises. However, the birds are eating feed in D.W.'s room and have not been completely cleared out.

Major

 * Arthur Read
 * D.W. Read
 * David Read
 * Jane Read

Minor

 * Kate Read
 * Buster Baxter
 * Brain

Cameo

 * Thora Read
 * Leah MacGrady (cameo)

Trivia

 * The name of the episode is a play on words of "vacation" and staying at home during vacation. The term itself already exists in popular culture, though D.W. claims to have coined it herself.
 * Brain attempts to wire the Read family household's television, lights and other equipment through the family computer, but the computer itself still appears to be an old-fashioned model, with a bulky fullscreen monitor and a primitive text-based interface.

Episode connections

 * Arthur and D.W. change Baby Kate's diaper. When D.W. suggests calling for mom and dad's help, Arthur reminds her that they have done it before, which they did in "Is There a Doctor in the House?"
 * The smoke alarm goes off in the Read home again like in "D.W. All Fired Up," except this time it is set off by actual smoke, not directly by any of the characters. The smoke alarm still has the same sound as in "D.W. All Fired Up."
 * Arthur thinks that his parents will feel guilty for going away and buy him presents. Binky thinks the same thing in "Waiting to Go."

Production notes

 * This episode was released on the DVD Arthur's Fountain Abbey before it premiered on TV.

Home video
DVD:
 * Arthur's Fountain Abbey