Friday, August 8, 2008

I'm having fun, sweetie

When you need to give Cady Gray news that might not be welcome -- say, that she's going to Nashville without Mommy -- here's a surefire way to get her on your side: Put yourself pre-emptively on hers.

CG has a hair-trigger mothering instinct. Suggest that something is making you sad or afraid, and she is by your side instantly to tell you it's okay. When her cousins were here Monday night, she proudly sat on the side of her bed with a book to read to them, patiently waiting for them to pay attention to her as they played with dolls on the floor.

So when I told her that she was going to see Grandma and Grandpa with Dad and Archer while Mom stayed at home, I ended with: "And I'm going to miss you so much." She immediately tucked her chin under, pulled me down to her level and began patting me on the shoulder. "Mom, I want you to make a promise," she said, "that you will have fun while I'm gone. You have to promise to play some computer games and have fun."

That's why I'm ditching this blog for freerice.com. I made a promise, after all.

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