dear claire,
this month you decided you were tired of hearing people go on about how "two is terrible", so you're just going to act like you're three. you show them. your speech has spiraled out of control. and you are way too smart for your own good.
over the last couple months when you want to watch tv you would blurt out "TV OFF?!" which is confusing to most, but what you meant was "WHYTHEHELL IS THE TV OFF, LADY?!" upholding my resistance to all things bright and loud, i limit your tv time to 30 mins a day. if it wasnt for the creators of shows like "dora the explorer" having the delusion that every single word should have 3 or more exclamation points after it, i might be a little more flexible. but seriously. "hi!!!! my!!! nombre!!! is!!! dora!!!!!!!!!!!!!" not to mention that she totally speaks spanglish. i have no problem with shows that teach an actual second language, but "put on!!!!! your!!! zapatos!!! so we!!!! can!!! vamanos!!!!" is not a human language. ok, well i guess it is a language if you live in southern california. but certainly not something i'm going to pay a cable bill for you to experience. if i wanted you to be fluent in spanglish i would take you outside on a sunday afternoon.
so anyway, after a while of the broken record that is you asking me "TV OFF?!" and the broken record that is me saying "nope." and you completely losing your shit - - - - i decided i needed a better plan. my genius plan was to simply tell you, "i'm so sorry, the tv went night night. tv was SO tired." and you were ok with that. (((cue bright light shining down on me from above and choir music playing))) thank god.
tonight, after dinner i noticed you smelled like day care and cheerios. which is the most disgusting smell ever. worse than a poopy diaper. so i mentioned, "hey claire, lets go give you a bath!" you promptly replied, "sorry mommy. no bath. the bath was tired. so tired. so the bath went night night." (((dark clouds rush in and lightening strikes)))
DAMMIT! you beat me at my own game!!! i couldn't just disregard the "tired bath" because that would discredit me for all future "sleeping tv's". so i came up with a plan... "you're right, i forgot. the bath is sleeping. but MOMMY'S bath just woke up!" and i dragged you into the other bathroom. ha HA! i thought i was so smart. until, later tonight, like i always do i told you the tv was sleeping. you looked at me and sighed. you were just about to fall for my clever trick when you suddenly perked back up and replied, "i know... the tv is sleeping.... but MOMMY'S tv just woke up!" and into my bedroom you went, and turned on freaking dora. HOLA!!! smart!!! baby!!! ADIOS!!! smart!!! mommy!!!
another thing you've learned to do this month is be judgemental. i knew it was only a matter of time before you soaked up this lovely trait, you little sponge, you. the other night we were at nana and papa's and i asked you to sing the ABC's for your nana. "no." then papa walked into the room and i asked you if you would sing the ABC's with your papa. with that, papa began to sing the ABC's. really out of tune ABC's. you glared at him from across the room... "be quiet papa." and mumbled under your breath, "you're doin' it wrong."
you're also a little bossy and frequently tell me to "get up" or "sit down" or "turn the computer off" or "sweep the floors cinderelly!!!" you are so strong willed and you really know what you want. yogurt for dinner, carrots for breakfast, shoes on, shoes off, you yell at the cat "no, NO ava! get off the couch!!! LISTEN TO ME!!!", you yelled at me the other day when i was standing on the bed adjusting the curtains, "get DOWN mommy!!! no standing on the bed!!!" and then when i finally got down you clapped your hands and cheered, "yaaaaay! good job, mommy!" thank you, claire. it feels amazing to be such an obedient mother.
but you're gentle too. and sweet and kind. when you take a moment to set aside all the terrible two-ness and the roid-rage from the pulmicort breathing treatments, and your completely inflated sense of confidence and independence - you are just precious. every morning and every night you put my face in your hands and say, "i love you mommy." then you throw your arms over my shoulders and hold me, and pat me on the back. and once a week or so you drag a pillow on to the floor in the living room and ask me to lay down. you come over with a blanket and lay it over me and fluff it up so it just square and right. you sit down next to me and pat my back and say "shhhhh. its ok.... shhhh." it's one thing to play "mommy" with your dolls, its another thing to play mommy with your mommy.
when you yell at me to get down off the bed, and celebrate that i listened, and then turn around, cover me with your blanket and "shh" me to sleep, when you hold my face and tell me you love me, and even when you use my own tricky logic to get what you want... all that says something very important to me. you're listening, you're happy, i'm doing a good job. and when i think about it that way, it makes me really understand that as much as you need me to be your mother, i need you to be my daughter. there is no better feeling in the world than when someone is holding you and telling you that they love you, and you close your eyes and take a deep breath and you realize that not only do they mean it - but you taught them how to do it. when you show someone how to love, and they give you love in return... nothing can compare to that feeling. that is the most pure and real meaning of "success". two really isn't so terrible afterall.
love you loving me,
mama
this month you decided you were tired of hearing people go on about how "two is terrible", so you're just going to act like you're three. you show them. your speech has spiraled out of control. and you are way too smart for your own good.
over the last couple months when you want to watch tv you would blurt out "TV OFF?!" which is confusing to most, but what you meant was "WHYTHEHELL IS THE TV OFF, LADY?!" upholding my resistance to all things bright and loud, i limit your tv time to 30 mins a day. if it wasnt for the creators of shows like "dora the explorer" having the delusion that every single word should have 3 or more exclamation points after it, i might be a little more flexible. but seriously. "hi!!!! my!!! nombre!!! is!!! dora!!!!!!!!!!!!!" not to mention that she totally speaks spanglish. i have no problem with shows that teach an actual second language, but "put on!!!!! your!!! zapatos!!! so we!!!! can!!! vamanos!!!!" is not a human language. ok, well i guess it is a language if you live in southern california. but certainly not something i'm going to pay a cable bill for you to experience. if i wanted you to be fluent in spanglish i would take you outside on a sunday afternoon.
so anyway, after a while of the broken record that is you asking me "TV OFF?!" and the broken record that is me saying "nope." and you completely losing your shit - - - - i decided i needed a better plan. my genius plan was to simply tell you, "i'm so sorry, the tv went night night. tv was SO tired." and you were ok with that. (((cue bright light shining down on me from above and choir music playing))) thank god.
tonight, after dinner i noticed you smelled like day care and cheerios. which is the most disgusting smell ever. worse than a poopy diaper. so i mentioned, "hey claire, lets go give you a bath!" you promptly replied, "sorry mommy. no bath. the bath was tired. so tired. so the bath went night night." (((dark clouds rush in and lightening strikes)))
DAMMIT! you beat me at my own game!!! i couldn't just disregard the "tired bath" because that would discredit me for all future "sleeping tv's". so i came up with a plan... "you're right, i forgot. the bath is sleeping. but MOMMY'S bath just woke up!" and i dragged you into the other bathroom. ha HA! i thought i was so smart. until, later tonight, like i always do i told you the tv was sleeping. you looked at me and sighed. you were just about to fall for my clever trick when you suddenly perked back up and replied, "i know... the tv is sleeping.... but MOMMY'S tv just woke up!" and into my bedroom you went, and turned on freaking dora. HOLA!!! smart!!! baby!!! ADIOS!!! smart!!! mommy!!!
another thing you've learned to do this month is be judgemental. i knew it was only a matter of time before you soaked up this lovely trait, you little sponge, you. the other night we were at nana and papa's and i asked you to sing the ABC's for your nana. "no." then papa walked into the room and i asked you if you would sing the ABC's with your papa. with that, papa began to sing the ABC's. really out of tune ABC's. you glared at him from across the room... "be quiet papa." and mumbled under your breath, "you're doin' it wrong."
you're also a little bossy and frequently tell me to "get up" or "sit down" or "turn the computer off" or "sweep the floors cinderelly!!!" you are so strong willed and you really know what you want. yogurt for dinner, carrots for breakfast, shoes on, shoes off, you yell at the cat "no, NO ava! get off the couch!!! LISTEN TO ME!!!", you yelled at me the other day when i was standing on the bed adjusting the curtains, "get DOWN mommy!!! no standing on the bed!!!" and then when i finally got down you clapped your hands and cheered, "yaaaaay! good job, mommy!" thank you, claire. it feels amazing to be such an obedient mother.
but you're gentle too. and sweet and kind. when you take a moment to set aside all the terrible two-ness and the roid-rage from the pulmicort breathing treatments, and your completely inflated sense of confidence and independence - you are just precious. every morning and every night you put my face in your hands and say, "i love you mommy." then you throw your arms over my shoulders and hold me, and pat me on the back. and once a week or so you drag a pillow on to the floor in the living room and ask me to lay down. you come over with a blanket and lay it over me and fluff it up so it just square and right. you sit down next to me and pat my back and say "shhhhh. its ok.... shhhh." it's one thing to play "mommy" with your dolls, its another thing to play mommy with your mommy.
when you yell at me to get down off the bed, and celebrate that i listened, and then turn around, cover me with your blanket and "shh" me to sleep, when you hold my face and tell me you love me, and even when you use my own tricky logic to get what you want... all that says something very important to me. you're listening, you're happy, i'm doing a good job. and when i think about it that way, it makes me really understand that as much as you need me to be your mother, i need you to be my daughter. there is no better feeling in the world than when someone is holding you and telling you that they love you, and you close your eyes and take a deep breath and you realize that not only do they mean it - but you taught them how to do it. when you show someone how to love, and they give you love in return... nothing can compare to that feeling. that is the most pure and real meaning of "success". two really isn't so terrible afterall.
love you loving me,
mama
3 comments:
That was funny and beautiful all at the same time.
Oh my gosh - I am laughing and crying! She is adorable, as are your letters.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi - I just found your blog on ILP and wanted to just comment on how wonderful it is. What a beautiful gift for your child and how inspiring. Thank you!!
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