Well MY goodness. SOMEbody has had on her extra-tight big ol' Sassy Pants on this month. And accordingly, I've had to hike on my Don't-Sell-Your-Daughter-on-eBay-Unless-She-Tones-The-Sass-Down Pants. I'm just gonna chalk it up to losing an hour of sleep (the time change was obviously instituted by someone who didn't have children and didn't understand the ramifications of the loss of those precious 60 minutes.) If you would, be a doll and remove your Sassy Pants and put back on your Obedient Pants.
I've started to accept the fact that you may be coming out of the (beautiful) phase where you need an afternoon nap. It took a few weeks of you refusing to take a nap during Nap Time and constantly coming in to the living room and whining that you weren't sleepy for me to realize it's time to change my tactic (yes, perhaps a brighter mother would have picked up on this sooner than I did. Them's the breaks). So even though you don't nap, you (read: I) still need to have Quiet Time in the afternoon. I made it clear to you that you do NOT have to sleep but you DO have to stay in your room. You can play with your dolls, read books, jump on your bed, sing, somersault across your floor, build a Lego tower, anything you want - just as long as you stay in your room. And you know what's funny? 80% of the time you go to your room for Quiet Time, you put yourself down for a nap after an hour or so of playing. It's fabulous. You feel in control of how you spend your time, and as long as the nap is YOUR idea (ie: not mine), you're more likely to do it. Of course there are definitely days where you still come out of your room and whine that you don't LIKE Quiet Time and that's it no FUN playing by yourself and that it's not FAIR that you have to have Quiet Time and that you've decided that Quiet Time is now over (I'll give you zero guesses as to how that last statement goes over with me).
Speaking of things not being fair, I didn't expect for you to throw that line at me for at LEAST two or three more years. You having to put your clothes in your hamper isn't FAIR? You having to brush your teeth isn't FAIR? You having to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom isn't FAIR? Seriously?!! I hate giving you such a blanket response, but I've totally busted out with "I know. Life's not fair. Get used to it."
As maddening as it is, I think it's neat how predictably unpredictable you are. Things that I think would bother you, don't (neat). Things that I think you'll love, you don't (maddening). Let's take a rope bridge, for instance. We went to Houston for Thanksgiving to visit Daddy's friend from college and his family. While Daddy was visiting his friend, Daddy's friend's wife and their two kids, Charlie, you, and me all went to a nature trail. We came to a rope bridge - one rope that you walk across with two higher ropes on either side that you use to help you across. I was convinced that you wouldn't want to try it. But when you saw the older girls try it, you were super jazzed about it. You only needed help for the first three or four steps and then you wanted to do it by yourself. You fell off the rope several times (a grand total of about 10" to the ground) and you got back up with a smile on your face each time. I was super proud. I love how brave you are. (You're not scared of a wobbly rope bridge, but you know what you say you ARE afraid of? Brushing your teeth. [facepalm]).
When you get up in the morning, you've started bringing out to the living room your beloved teddy bear for the expressed purpose of giving her to Charlie for him to hug. To me, it's the epitome of kindness. And Charlie just couldn't be happier. He loves your teddy bear almost as much as you do. And when you hand her to him, he buries his head into her and just smiles and smiles. I thank God often for your sweet heart. You're incredibly kind and sensitive, and even on your most sassiest of Sassy Pants days, I am humbled to be your Momma. Humbled enough to where I'd never really sell you on eBay. Promise.
Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy
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Headlines for December 1, 2012:
- Fla. Men Charged in Alleged Terror Plot
- Obama Warns Of 'Scrooge Christmas' Without Deal
- Missouri introduces Powerball jackpot winners
- North Korea vows to test long-range rocket
- Underwood to play Maria in 'Sound of Music'
- Kids eat better than mom or dad, study suggests
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