“Mama help?” I ask her.
“No, Pah-pah!” she grunts, thumbs thrusting into her delicious Buddha belly.
I say, “okay, Poppy can do it!” And then I sit back and watch as the rice flies out of her spoon, over her shoulder, and onto the floor. She puts the empty spoon into her mouth and looks at me, brow furrowed in bewilderment as to why there is not a spoonful of rice in her mouth.
It felt like we had been reenacting the same scene all day.
“Mama help Poppy put on shoes?”
“No, Pah-pah!”
“Mommy help Poppy brush hair?”
“No, Pah-pah!”
It seems like just yesterday she needed help with everything. She used to cry in frustration at her failures, until we taught her how to sign for “help.” Once she learned that, we had exactly 2 seconds to help her accomplish her goal after she asked for help. If we were too slow, those familiar cries broke out once again.
Hmmm...maybe it was actually just yesterday.
I knew that one day I’d watch my little bird fly from the nest. I guess I didn’t expect there’d be rice flying with her.
“No, Pah-pah!” she grunts, thumbs thrusting into her delicious Buddha belly.
I say, “okay, Poppy can do it!” And then I sit back and watch as the rice flies out of her spoon, over her shoulder, and onto the floor. She puts the empty spoon into her mouth and looks at me, brow furrowed in bewilderment as to why there is not a spoonful of rice in her mouth.
It felt like we had been reenacting the same scene all day.
“Mama help Poppy put on shoes?”
“No, Pah-pah!”
“Mommy help Poppy brush hair?”
“No, Pah-pah!”
It seems like just yesterday she needed help with everything. She used to cry in frustration at her failures, until we taught her how to sign for “help.” Once she learned that, we had exactly 2 seconds to help her accomplish her goal after she asked for help. If we were too slow, those familiar cries broke out once again.
Hmmm...maybe it was actually just yesterday.
I knew that one day I’d watch my little bird fly from the nest. I guess I didn’t expect there’d be rice flying with her.
Keep writing about these days as they go by all too quickly and before your know it you are on a college visit watching your child take the lead and ask the questions about meal plans all on their own. Poppy sounds like a confident girl who knows what she wants. It may be challenging, but embrace it because it will take her far!
ReplyDeleteI love these stories. Each child has such unique stories, and stories that take us back to the stories we lived with our own little ones. ( my “baby” is now married 3 years!) I remember when “me do it” were her favorite words. Once as we were walking from the car to a store, and I was insisting on holding her hand...she licked her hands together and said, “No, mommy, I hold my hand.” Seems like it was yesterday. Of course, it wasn’t actually. 🙂
ReplyDeleteLocked her hands... where is spellcheck when you need it?
ReplyDeleteFunny snapshot, in the midst of constant change.
ReplyDelete