So, today I realized that my daughter is older than me in a couple of ways. Hopefully it's just for this week, because after a crazy week last week, I have not felt like doing anything since Sunday night. It's all I can do to make myself put on real pants and start the day. I just want to nap and lay on the sofa! I'm hoping this will all blow over in the next day or so when my schedule goes from lazy back to crazy, but I digress. Back to Sam.
First, this morning she asked for "two waffles, peease!" for breakfast (since she was sick yesterday, and she didn't eat lunch or dinner, I'm sure she was starving). When she was done, she very carefully handed me her plastic fork (which I'm pretty sure was only actually used for the first bite), and said "Here you go, Mommy. Put it in da dishwasser!" Hmmm, I had every intention of either 1) leaving it there until I felt like cleaning, or 2) tossing it in the sink. I guess that makes me the kid (or husband *cough cough*) in this scenario? That has been the tip of the "responsible Sam" iceberg today.
Later, I was trying to get myself motivated to get moving, but mostly, I was wandering aimlessly around the kitchen, trying not to mindlessly eat sugar. I didn't really see the point in rushing around getting ready or cleaning, since Sam had a fever last night, I didn't want to take her anywhere today just in case, even though she seems fine. Facing a day of not leaving the house until 6pm is never motivating for me.
Sam came over to me and said "I play in the sambox." For the record, we have a sandbox, but Sam seems to think that because it belongs to her, it is also named after her and calls it her Sambox. It's just too cute to correct. I got her dressed and shoed (I guess if it works for horses...) and opened the back door so she could play (it's literally a foot away from the sliding door so I can see her and the TV from the sofa, which was of course, my plan for the whole day anyway). Sam grabbed my hand and said "Mommy comes too. Get mommy's shoes!" and led me to the shoe basket by the door. When I looked at her to object, she said calmly and not whiny at all, "Mommy come too. Mommy water the garden." It was true, my garden needed watering. Dang it.
An hour or so later, I was back to wandering the kitchen and trying to get motivated. I was whining out loud to Sam that I had to make some cookies for a church activity tonight, but I just didn't feel like doing anything at all--all day long. Why couldn't I make myself do something? Sam hopped up on the couch and turned around to lean on the back of it and look across the kitchen counter at me at almost eye level. Then she put on an excited voice said "Mommy--make some cookie dough, and THEN, drive to da tunnel!!!" Driving through a tunnel is what Sam considers to be the ultimate reward for anything at this time in her life. She asks if we can go through a tunnel anytime we get in the car. The irony here is that we have taken her "true da tunnel" exactly once in her whole life that she remembers. It was on our way to Peoria over a month ago, and apparently has changed her life forever. The fact that she was trying to get me to take her all the way to downtown Phoenix for one three second tunnel ride was not the point. What cracked me up was the way Sam was using all my favorite mom tricks to get me to get off my lazy butt and do stuff. Our roles are totally reversed today, and it seems like she is dragging me along! From the calm statement of "Mommy comes too." that I've used a million times when Sam has no choice but has decided to be difficult "i.e. Nope, you're coming to the store too. Get in the car," to the riduculously overemphasized "THEN" before bribing her with a more fun activity, the kid has gotten a hold of my playbook, and man, does she know how to work it.
It's funny and cute, but it's gone to her head. Over an hour after putting her down for a nap, I was still hearing her gabbing in there. I poked my head in, to find her reclining on her bed in a sitting position, "reading" a magazine. When she saw me, she put down the mag and said "Hi Mommy. I'm all done taking a nap!" Yeah, sure, nice try kid. I know that after this morning, she thinks she's pretty much running this show, but I'm still the mom (sometimes).
"Sam," I said as sweetly as possible "lay down and take a real nap, but THEN, we'll do something more fun."
I've attempted to reclaim my title, but maybe it's too late--I just heard her favorite potty book flush from in there. Well, okay. If we're going to switch roles, that's totally fine with me--she can go clean my bathroom while I take a two hour nap!
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