One on One Time

Claire and I had the evening to ourselves once last year as Anna had a sleepover with her granny, who we call "Nanny". (not to be mistaken for a nanny that one would hire to watch their kids, which I do not)

So Claire, who was 3 at the time, and I sit down and look at each other when they leave. I decide I will not clean, fold laundry, do dishes, clean up toys in the next 3 hours (before she goes to bed). I will not multitask. I will let everything go to pot until after she is in bed because this is one on one time with her.

Here goes:

"It's pouring rain out, Claire, you wanna go put on your slicker and boots and slosh around outside for a bit before bath time?"

"No Mommy, I just want to take a baff."

Bath gets filled, I find big thing of bubbles to blow, which she refused to let me help with, entire container of bubbles fall into bath after only blowing for about 2 minutes.

"Mommy, the whole bubble fing fell in my baff."

I had to rinse her off because it appeared to be making her skin turn red and blotchy looking.

"So Claire, what should we make to eat?"

"Blueberry Pie."

Blueberry pie. I actually had blueberries and know how to make a crust.

She brings up the stool to help and ends up ingesting 4 full spoonfuls of sugar before I stop (catch) her and eats approximately 1 tablespoon of butter (I let her and figure since she hasn't eaten anything too substantial in about 3 days, a little fat wouldn't hurt her). Claire looks at blueberries and yells "HEY!!! THOSE AREN'T BLUE!!!! THOSE ARE PURPLE!!!!!!!! BLUEBERRIES ARE A LIE! THEY DON'T TELL THE TWOOF!"

I forgot the pie crust needed to refrigerated for an hour so it is apparent that the pie will not be ready before Blue goes to sleep (as it would be out right about when I would start putting her to bed. So she has agreed that it would be sufficient to have it for breakfast if I bake it while she is in bed. Oh yes, compromises, people.

We look out at the rain "Wow," I state, "it just keeps raining, doesn't it?"

Nodding 3 year old, bobbing head up and down. "Yes Mommy. Maybe it will funderstorm tonight and maybe there will be beers!"

"Beers?"

"BEEEEEERS!"

Claire growls and claws at me.

"OH BEARS!!!!!!!"

"Yeah beers, maybe there will be funderstorms and beers, they are bofe very spooky!"

Other than that, before bed, it ends up the pie WAS ready so since she decided she no longer LOVED salmon, as she did yesterday, I let her stay up a little longer to eat a piece of pie...for dinner. We'll most likely eat it for breakfast too.

And last but not least, I cut myself on that dang sharp edge of the tin foil box and she saw the blood, shrieked and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Thinking she was afraid, very afraid, I knock on the door and she yelled "JUST A MINUTE!" So I figured maybe she got preoccupied and decided to go potty or something so I waited and slowly the door opened and she handed me a Barbie band aid, all ready opened and peeled and ready to stick.

"I'll take care of my Mommy."

I love one on one time.