All of those thankless, sleepless nights when she was a thankless, sleepless infant are paying off. I'm so glad I didn't send this girl back with the stork when he dropped her off on my doorstep nearly ten years ago. I might have seriously contemplated it one night when I hadn't slept in 72 hours and found myself aching, leaking, and staring into her purple, inconsolable, squalling face. Yes, I am glad I stuck it out because she finally did stop crying, and now she is a perfectly delightful companion. Yesterday my oldest girl and I had a day of fun doing nothing particularly special. I think there was a moment in the grocery store parking lot when we both looked at each other and silently thought, "I really like being with you." Then we resumed skipping toward the store in our flip flops and sunglasses (in March! I know!).
Yesterday also happened to be St. Patrick's Day, so we found the traditional Irish music station on Pandora, and I made my famous Irish stew with Guinness while my girls worked on rainbow fruit kebabs and green kool-aid. We all agreed that it is nearly impossible to feel glum when Irish flutes and fiddles fill the air. Emma remarked that she felt like she was in the
Shire, and before the evening was over all of us danced some form of a jig on the kitchen floor and in the backyard. After the dancing Emma suggested that we take some artistic photos to commemorate the day...
Taking silly photographs, dancing in the kitchen and bonding in the produce aisle is important because she won't always like me. I am her mom and not her best friend. There will be days when she sends darts of disdain at me from her eyes when as we lock horns over whether or not she should be allowed to do something that "everyone else is doing," but yesterday was a good day. Yesterday we 'got each other," and I have the photos to prove it.
"Seriously, Mom. Seriously."
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