I Should Have Stayed With Mommy.

This post unintentionally got put on the back burner.  Life. Life. Life. But here it is.  A week later--but I'm still thankful for it. 

On Saturday afternoon Chris asked Georgia if she wanted to go to Lowe's with him, and then the dollar store to pick up some new princess stickers.  She said no.  I looked at him longingly with huge puppy dog eyes that said, "Please do your best to make this trip to Lowe's sound like a trip to Disney Land because I could really just use an hour of silence."

He went in again.  And her response, "I really just want to stay with mommy."
That's sweet.  It really is.  And I love being a mom even more when I hear stuff like that.  But sometimes.....just one magical hour is the little blue pill we need, right?  And lately, Georgia and I have been going at it like two middle school girls.  Everything.  Everything. Everything is a fight.

"I don't want to wear that. It's not pink.  Dark pink."
While shrieking, "Theeeeeeese socks don't feeeeeeel right." Followed by a dramatic fall to the ground. 
"Now no one will like me." Followed by a slamming door and screaming--all over the wrong bow. 
"If it's not perfect, I'm not doing it," as her crayons get pushed on the floor.

And that's a sliver of the fights.  Like the smallest sliver.
Thankfully, they're usually quick.  Because, really, Georgia is a pleaser and she wants to make you happy.  She wants structure and rules and expectations; as evidenced by how good our days are when they are orderly and calm and full of the norm.  Not rocket science, I know.  But a breath of fresh air when they blow in.

And I know we'll get through this phase just like every other phase that feels like it takes ten years when you're in the midst of it, but really it takes five minutes and you can't believe it's really over and you kind of miss it when it passes.  In the thick of it though--I get sad--because I feel like I'm missing out on precious moments of bonding with my daughter because they get eclipsed by the parenting--or so I think.

Back to Saturday afternoon.  Chris convinced Georgia to head to Lowe's with him--she got to wear her Cinderella dress.  They got all buckled into the car and were just pulling out of the neighborhood when Georgia said quietly, kind of to herself and kind of to Chris, "I wish I would have stayed with mommy."  Chris said, "What did you just say?"  "I wish I would have stayed with mommy.  I really love her." She had a good time with Chris in the end; she loves her daddy too--like a whole lot.  For a moment though, she wanted to be with her mommy.

Chris told me this story at the end of the night.  And I smiled.  And I wanted to go lay in bed with Georgia and kiss her soft cheeks until she woke up and whispered she loved me (because she will).  I needed that story in the midst of some tumultuous days with her and I love my husband for so many reasons; that night--for sharing that story with me.

These little minds we're raising are interesting.  We tend to think they're classic, "what you see is what you get."  But there's more to them, that they don't let on to you--just like most adults that we know.  Thoughts and musings that they keep locked up inside and don't feel comfortable sharing for whatever reason--only to be shared at the perfect time, sometimes when the person who needs to hear it most isn't around.

But thankfully, when we do get to hear them they happen to come just when we are desperate for them.  They keep us going and tell us, "Keep doing what you're doing.  It's working.  And it's not as terrible as you're thinking it is." And even if you don't get to hear them, I'll bet you a million bucks those little thoughts in the little minds we're rearing are still there.  Just like we have amazing things to tell people we love, but might be having a hard time with, so do our kids.  And on rough days, I don't know about you, but I'm choosing to cling to that, and believe in that, instead of a door getting slammed in my face, and a whirling dervish in my living room, and fits over socks and three quarter length sleeves.

I cling to that and the sweet moments that we really do have in the week like Georgia giving her baby a bath--which by the way--has become a daily ritual.  Sometimes multiple times a day.  If this baby was human she'd be a wrinkled up raisin in desperate need of some triple action gold bond.

And after this sweet moment of little baby lovin'.........

there was this maniacal moment of little baby getting the guts squeezed out of her.

I leave you with a video.  A video that Georgia wanted me to record and "definitely put on my 'clog'." So, here's my sweet girl--giving you all a tutorial on the best way to bathe a baby...........

Those good moments?  Sear them into your mama memories and cash them in on rough, rough days.  And for heaven's sake, if your kid says something fabulous about their mom or dad--tell them!  It's better than a bouquet of flowers and a pedicure..........I mean, a close second........but still............

Happy Weekend!