growing up

Mikayla and I spend a lot of time together. The kids are in school all day, and Sam is gone to work, (or to golf) and it leaves us two. We have some silly rituals we have adopted over the past three years we have been SAHM/SAHT together. We are much like two spinsters living in the same house, each adjusting her own agenda to the other.

One of my favorite rituals is our "Restings."

In the early days, verbally pleading "let's go take a nap" was offensive to a toddler. She didn't neeeeeed a nap. She wasn't tiiiired. But, when I merely suggested, " Hey, let's go take a little rest" that was fine. Rest implies no sleeping involved, hence no time wasted that could be used for other things, like taking the Crayolas to the blank canvas of the entertainment center.

Thus, our "Restings" began.

The first time she readily accept the offer, I was giddy. My sleep-deprived eye twitch had evolved into a full-fledged ocular seizure, that even with the distance from the porch to the mailbox, the mailman thought I was flirting, what with my constant winking. I was ready for a rest. A good old-fashioned three hour coma.

So we chose some books to read. Three. Three is always the number we choose. And the shorter the better. She has her favorites, and when I am really tired, I let her read them to me.

Books chosen, we tucked ourselves into a quilt on my bed. I was so crazy happy from the possibility of uninterrupted sleep, I grabbed her head, and touched her forehead to mine, and spontaneously cackled. Like a mental patient. It came out before I could stop it, like a taco belch.

Mikayla was stunned. I think it was a mix of fear, and curiosity. Who is this lady? Is she going to eat my face? Do I share the same genes? I had to turn it into a game... I laughed again, a silly high-pitched giggle. Then she relaxed, and joined me. Then we laughed a few more times, successfully masking a potentially embarrassing future counseling session.

We read, and after the third story, I told her to close her eyes and rest. And it actually worked! We napped for a couple of glorious hours.

The next day, I suggested another "resting" she picked some books, and settled in. She grabbed my cheeks with her pudgy fingers and said, "Mommy, let's do our laughings."

And so it continued.

Some days, I wait until she falls asleep, and then I quietly sneek away and catch up on housework, listening to the silence. I love the time we spend together, sometimes it is the only time I sit still long enough to enjoy her.

Today, I snuggled next to her with the usual books. I started reading the first familiar book.

"Oh, dang it, Mikayla, we forgot to do our laughings" I said, pulling her face in close to mine.

"Mom. I stopped liking that."

And so it ends.