What did you Learn?

Lila and I have been home for a few weeks now and are adjusting to life without traveling. We spend our mornings being lazy, cuddling up with our morning shows and drinking juice like old friends. Our days consist of chores, errands and goofing off. She's my partner in crime, the apple of my eye.

While I adore my child with everything that I am, there are days where she is louder than usual, a little moody and even sometimes, a bit hard to handle. We take those days in stride and look forward to the better ones. Who am I to judge, right? I have some bad days myself. Lila will sometimes do things I have deliberately asked her not to do like jumping on the bed, leaning on the backs of chairs, or climbing on the counters to reach things I have purposely placed out of her reach. In some occasions, she will fall or almost fall and hurt herself slightly to where I am then forced to use my mean mom voice and ask her, "What did you learn?" In her saddest little voice she responds, "Don't climb on the counters?" It's all for learning responsibility and accountability, I promise. I'm not really a mean mom.

A few days ago, I received an important lengthy business call and the inside of my house sounded like a zoo. Lila had every possible noise making toy on, she was loudly playing her barbie guitar and singing into her Dora the Explorer microphone, [Thanks Nana Kathy, but no more loud toys please!]. I went out the back door, sat in my patio and took the call. I could hear Lila angrily knocking on the door, but I could see her through the window, so I knew she was safe and I did my best to make the phone call go quickly. Lila had stopped knocking on the door and was playing with her doll house happily by the time the call ended. I went to open the back door and, Surprise! Lila had locked me out! The anger that swept over me as I asked a three year old child to grant me access into my own house was incredible. The anger that overcame me when she actively refused to let me in my home was indescribable.

Ultimately, I had to call the owners of the house that I rent who live a few streets away and they graciously opened the door for me. Lila, who doesn't miss anything, was ready at the door waiting for my entrance. Diva attitude in full swing and in her best 'mean mom voice' Lila asks me, "What did you learn?" Let me tell you what I learned... My daughter is much too smart for her own good... and mine.



She's lucky she's my whole world...