This was separate parenting weekend. Phill took Inwe to his mother’s farm in North Carolina, and I kept Larien here with me. Inwe was so excited about going on her trip with just Daddy that she was in the truck way before Phill had it fully loaded. She even forgot to take her Panda and blanket; she’s NEVER slept without the blanket. Panda is a recent addition but is still quite essential for sleeping. I got a call around 8pm from Inwe telling me not to wash Panda and blanket. Apparently when the blanket is washed and dried it becomes “unsoft”. So I placed the two sleep aids on the bed and hoped for the best.
Why was I hoping for the best? One of the reasons for taking Inwe to the farm was to introduce her to sleeping in a tent. This was a huge event for Inwe—she used to not like being outside after the sun had set. So Phill was the adventurous parent and roasted marshmallows over an open fire. Inwe wouldn’t eat them. She licked it, decided that she didn’t like the brown part, and refused to eat the (as Phill noted) perfectly toasted marshmallows. She did sleep—after watching movies on the portable DVD player until 11:30pm.
Another nice part of Inwe’s trip was meeting Phill’s uncle, Farming Doc. Not a hint of shyness at all. Farming Doc enjoyed talking to her and quizzed her on all subjects. I understand from Phill and Grandma that Farming Doc was quite impressed with our little 3-½ year old daughter.
When I saw Inwe at 4pm today, she had a ring of dirt around her neck, dirty clothes, and hair pulled back into a rat’s nest ponytail. I did give her a hug before I got out a washcloth, hair detangle spray, and the hairbrush.
If Larien could she would say, “I really liked being the only kid, Mom. Let’s do this again!” There is no denying the joy Larien had at having Mommy all to herself for two days. We played with what she wanted; no Inwe to direct. The pool took on new meaning with Mommy’s attention not divided. She got a lollipop at the pool and got to choose her own color. Usually Inwe chooses for her. The bathtub is huge. Larien really did say that, “Bathtub is big.” The one hitch last night was that she didn’t want to go to bed. Although she was very tired, she powered through her sleepiness until 9:30pm.
Today she rejoiced in riding in the grocery cart getting to hold onto both pretend steering wheels, holding onto her balloon throughout the store. She didn’t have to share sips of Pepsi with Inwe. And, instead of going to our club’s pool, we filled the kiddie pool in the back yard. Larien and the White Dragon played together in the water. The funniest moment was Larien imitating the White Dragon snapping at the water running out of the hose. “Eat water like Ursa, Mommy.” I took pictures, but didn’t catch the two of them in the same frame, plus Larien was naked having shunned her bathing suit. I won’t put up naked toddler pictures so don’t even ask.
1 comment:
This is my favorite story yet. As a middle child I totally relate to having the pool all to myself and my parent's undivided attention. I also have very fond memories of my "alone" time with my Dad which I will cherish always. Dad's have to work. It's a fact of life. Sometimes Mommy's do too. So it is those rare treats of time spent alone - just the two of you - which stay with a child for years to come. Thanks for sharing and reminding me of my special Dad times.
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