Lily tackled me on my way out the door. "Wait, Mommy!" She shouted even though she'd knocked me to the floor, and her mouth was an inch from my ear. "You can't go yet. I have to give you something" She wrapped one arm around my leg to keep me disabled; stretched her body as long as it would go without compromising her grip on my ankle; and plunged her free arm into a ratty basket that shouldn't have been on the floor in my bedroom -- that's another story -- and pulled out a tiny, brown horse. "Darla will go to work with you today," Lily said placing the horse gently in my hand. "She's a good horse. She will take care of you and keep you from getting lonely at work." I grabbed Lily's face and kissed her nose and forehead. "OH MY GOSH -- I love you SO MUCH!" I felt a little crazy taking a horse to work -- even a tiny horse. What if someone in the office had an allergy? What if someone complained ...
My husband complains that our children never listen. Sometimes he blames it on me, "You never make them do anything." I have a different theory. I believe our darlings are mimicking their daddy's behavior. Exhibit A: I'm in the bedroom typing. The door and windows are closed. The television is off. The heat is on. I run to the kitchen for something to drink. The trip takes no more than 30 seconds. And when I return--the the door and windows are open. The television is on. The heat is off. My husband is watching a football game. "I'm trying to get some writing done," I tell him. "Maybe you could watch the game downstairs." Silence. " I said I'm trying to get some writing done. Could you maybe watch the game downstairs?" "Huh, what?" He stares at me blankly. "The football game is distracting me. Could you please watch it downstairs." "OK." I return to my computer screen. What wa...