Questions/Perceptions

Olivia has entered the question stage.

She askes questions about everything these days. Yesterday a few of her questions were:

"Why does Gram's car have wheels?"

"Why does my shirt have short sleeves?"

"Gram? Where is my Rapunzel dress?"

"Mommy? Why is our house so messy and we can't find my Rapunzel dress?"

Cute, huh?

Sure, until the fifteen thousandth question of the day. Actually, then it's still kind of cute.

My biggest complaint about my very verbal child is that she often says, "Mommy?"

And when I say, "What, Sweetie?" She just looks at me, as if she were just making sure I was paying attention. UGH!!!

This morning she asked:

"Why is my Tangled shirt sparkly?"

"Where is my old headband that is yellow with a bow?"

"Gram, what is your favorite color?"

"Why is the sun shining so bright in your car, Mommy?"

All very good questions. Also more reason for me to be grateful. She can communicate, she can let us know what's on her mind. I realize how lucky we are that she speaks so well. Please, please know that I get that even when I'm gritting my teeth when she says, "Mommy?" one more time.

Alyssa has always been very verbal. This child was speaking in full sentences at 15 months and full paragraphs with footnotes at two years.

Last night, I was feeling out of sorts. I was tired and my back hurt from almost six hours in a car. I just kind of wanted to be left alone.

Except, with two small children and a husband in the house, that isn't likely to happen.

At 7:40 Alyssa asked if she could take a bath.

I REALLY didn't want to go upstairs and sit in the bathroom for a half hour or more while she and Olivia swam in my tub. But how do you say no to such a request?

I don't, that how. So up we went. And obviously if A was taking a bath O was going to be rigth there with her. I think that Olivia might be the cleanest child in all of northwestern Ohio. She takes a bath almost every morning and often throughout the day at my mom's. She loves her bath.

After bath was over at 8:05 and both girls were jammied up, we headed back down stairs. I'd already washed A's lunch dishes, so I thought I could join the family in the living room for the rest of The Middle.

The instant I sat down, Alyssa asked for ice cream.

Ugh!! Yes, I was so very, very annoyed. But I got her the ice cream. I took it to her and started to sit down when Olivia handed me the uneaten half of the cookie she'd been holding. She said, "I want ice cream too."

Egads! Would this day never end? I wondered in disgust as I spooned up ice cream again, this time stirring it up so she could feed herself.

Tom took O's bowl from me and tried to feed her. She didn't want to be fed the ice cream. She's FOUR, she doesn't need to be fed like a baby.

He handed me her bowl, thinking she'd eat it if I fed it to her. Seconds after he handed me Olivia's bowl of ice cream, Alyssa moved from her end of the couch to my lap, making it impossible for me to feed anyone anything.

I just sighed.

Alyssa turned back, patted my cheek and said, "Poor Mommy. You need a good night sleep."

She's a perceptive one, that girl.