While Aubrey and Emma (my seven and now six-year-olds) spent the week with The Farm People, as they call my in-laws, I got to spend one week in my house with only one child.
I’m not slamming parents of one child, because I only had one child once and couldn’t imagine life being more difficult than it already was… until I had another one. It was the same way when going from two kids to three. And I’m sure people with more children than me roll their eyes when they hear me complain about how hard it is to take care of three.
Regardless of how many kids you have, when you have ONE less for a significant amount of time you feel like you’re on a Caribbean cruise. The percentage of time spent breaking up fights and praying your eardrums don’t burst at all the screeching decreases significantly.
Having two children gone this week gave me several days to spend with Sadie, my three-year-old, all by ourselves. She took naps in my bed, stayed up past bedtime and shared after dinner ice cream with me and her daddy.
Every time I’d say anything like, “Let’s run to the store.”
Sadie would say, “Just me and you, huh Momma?”
“Yep. Just me and you.”
I tried to talk her into swimming a few times but she wasn’t interested. We made necklaces and bracelets out of beads which never would have happened with her sisters around. We colored and had her friends over. She got more eye contact than she has since I was breastfeeding her.
Yesterday I told Sadie we could go anywhere she wanted to go.
Sadie: Momma, can we go to dat beautipul pwace and get my tingernails painted?
Me: Sure.
Sadie: Weally!?? Wooooohooo!
She scrambled to get clothes on and as we got in the car I asked her if she wanted to pick up one of her best friends, Sister Wife’s daughter, Annie, to go with us.
Sadie: WEALLY MOMMA!??
She clapped and cheered and we ran by to get Annie.
Annie is the yen to Sadie’s yang. If there is a street band, Sadie will dance in the street and Annie will hide behind her mother’s legs. Sadie is a “jump in the pool headfirst without checking the temp of the water or the depth of the pool” kind of girl to Annie’s “I’ll ease into this one toe at a time.”
They compliment each other well and it was hysterical to listen to them in the back seat, having conversations like they were 12 years old. I suppose they always talk this much, I just can’t normally hear them over the car full of loud mouth kids.
I was surprised when we got to the standard nail salon and Annie was the first one to hop in the chair and extend her tiny hands. The man painting her nails started making conversation. Please keep in mind that Annie is as serious as a heart surgeon about to perform a transplant…
Nail tech: What’s you name?
Annie: Annie.
Tech: You have boyfriend?
Annie: *stares at tech without cracking a smile*
All the other techs and customers nearby giggle.
Tech: Why you no have boyfriend? You want boyfriend?
Annie never breaks eye contact, “No.”
Tech: I can be you boyfriend…
Annie: No.
Tech: Oh, come on. I paint you nails all the time….
Annie: No.
After Annie got done she went and sat under the light and never budged. The tech motioned for Sadie to get in the chair and she hid behind my legs.
Sadie: I don’t WANT to paint my nails Momma!
Me: That’s why we came here! I said you could do whatever you wanted and you picked this!
Sadie: I don’t want to!
Me: Fine.
We went to sit with Annie while her nails dried and Sadie said, “I wish I could get MY nails painted…”
Me: What the??! You CAN!! Go sit down!!
Sadie: Momma, I don’t want that boy to do it. I’m too embarrassed. I want a guhl to do it…
I sighed and asked a woman working if she could paint Sadie’s nails and after letting her nails dry I herded them out of the salon.
The Dollar Store was just a few stores down so I gave both of the girls a dollar and told them they could pick something out. They walked down the sidewalk and Annie reached for Sadie’s hand. “STOP IT!!!” Sadie huffed! “You gonna mess up my nails.” She tossed her hair and put her hand on her hip.
Me: Your nails are dry.
Sadie: Oh.
She giggled and reached for Annie’s hand.
Luckily for me the girls found what they wanted right inside the door. There was a huge box of rubber balls. Just like the ones you used to play dodge ball with but about half the size. They both chose a green ball and we went to stand in line. The line was long and we waited. They spun in circles and sang some song they’ve made up that goes something like, “POLKADOT! APPLES! CIRCUS!” I haz no idea what they were doing but they seemed to know what they were doing. As we finally reached the cashier, she looked up and apologized, “I’m so sorry! I’ve got to get change!”
The girls were counting and touching every candy bar they could reach and every one in the store was relieved when the cashier came back. She rang up our purchases putting the girls’ rubber balls in a plastic bag and sliding it towards us. The girls simultaneously reached for the bag as Annie yelled, “YES!!! OUR BALL SACK!!!”
I could not speak. I had tears rolling down my cheeks as I dug a five dollar bill out of my pocket. I was only sad my older girls weren’t with me to laugh hysterically as I drug them out of the store.
Bonus: A lil freestylin’ in the car after picking blueberries yesterday afternoon.
