A Comedy in Three Acts
Act I: A Good Scam
My love and I have had a gift card for a Green Bay Mexican restaurant since Christmas, when my sister and brother-in-law gave it to us. Those of you who know us well will find it hard to believe that we waited so long on a chance to swill margaritas, but, well, time flies.
This past Saturday, the perfect opportunity to use it presented itself. We had lunched at my sister's house to celebrate my youngest nephew's second birthday with my family, it was midafternoon, and free babysitters abounded in my parents and my siblings. So we relieved ourselves of the children and headed out for a little gift-card happy hour. Free food! Free drinks! Free child care! Freedom!
We were deep in conversation (and deep into our drinks and cheese dip) when my beloved stopped mid-thought to say, "Do you have the gift card?"
"No, I don't," I replied. "Don't you?" Silly question.
Then I remembered. I had seen it in the diaper bag, which was on the front seat of our other car, in which my dad had chauffeured our kids over to the Happy Fun House known as Grandma and Grandpa's. Oops.
Guess we'll have to indulge again next time we're in town...
Act II: Watch Where You Step When You're Walking In Heaven
A couple of days ago, our little boy asked from the back seat of the car, "Mommy, what kind of day is it?"
I told him it was a busy day and, glancing out the window, elaborated to say that it was also overcast.
"What's overcast?" he asked.
When I explained that it meant that the sky was almost entirely covered with clouds, he looked outside and said, "The people walking around in heaven better watch out, because if they step where there are no clouds, they'll fall right through."
Act III: Lookin' For Rest In All The Wrong Places
It's been at least a couple of weeks now since the Sleep Fairy, that magical creature who leaves jellybeans for little girls and boys who fall asleep in their beds despite their strong urges to do otherwise, has paid our house a visit. Our tiny toddler has once again taken to wandering to the hall when sleepytime arrives, reading a stack of books or singing herself to sleep with an enthusiastic rendition of "I Love You, You Love Me." It's enough to make anyone lose their Barney bias.
On Tuesday afternoon, I went looking for her when things went quiet in her room, figuring she'd miraculously fallen asleep in her bed. I opened the door a crack and peeked in. Didn't see her on the bed; didn't see her on the floor. The only places not in my line of vision were the closet (in which she thinks Big Brother's mythical Night Sleep Waker lives and, for that reason, in which she would never sleep) and the changing table. Could it be?
Indeed it was. I entered the room and looked at the built-in desk-turned-diaper changing station along the wall to my right. There she was, her knees tucked beneath her, her tush in the air, and a wad of baby wipes in each hand. I can only imagine what it was she was doing when exhaustion overcame her...
My love and I have had a gift card for a Green Bay Mexican restaurant since Christmas, when my sister and brother-in-law gave it to us. Those of you who know us well will find it hard to believe that we waited so long on a chance to swill margaritas, but, well, time flies.
This past Saturday, the perfect opportunity to use it presented itself. We had lunched at my sister's house to celebrate my youngest nephew's second birthday with my family, it was midafternoon, and free babysitters abounded in my parents and my siblings. So we relieved ourselves of the children and headed out for a little gift-card happy hour. Free food! Free drinks! Free child care! Freedom!
We were deep in conversation (and deep into our drinks and cheese dip) when my beloved stopped mid-thought to say, "Do you have the gift card?"
"No, I don't," I replied. "Don't you?" Silly question.
Then I remembered. I had seen it in the diaper bag, which was on the front seat of our other car, in which my dad had chauffeured our kids over to the Happy Fun House known as Grandma and Grandpa's. Oops.
Guess we'll have to indulge again next time we're in town...
Act II: Watch Where You Step When You're Walking In Heaven
A couple of days ago, our little boy asked from the back seat of the car, "Mommy, what kind of day is it?"
I told him it was a busy day and, glancing out the window, elaborated to say that it was also overcast.
"What's overcast?" he asked.
When I explained that it meant that the sky was almost entirely covered with clouds, he looked outside and said, "The people walking around in heaven better watch out, because if they step where there are no clouds, they'll fall right through."
Act III: Lookin' For Rest In All The Wrong Places
It's been at least a couple of weeks now since the Sleep Fairy, that magical creature who leaves jellybeans for little girls and boys who fall asleep in their beds despite their strong urges to do otherwise, has paid our house a visit. Our tiny toddler has once again taken to wandering to the hall when sleepytime arrives, reading a stack of books or singing herself to sleep with an enthusiastic rendition of "I Love You, You Love Me." It's enough to make anyone lose their Barney bias.
On Tuesday afternoon, I went looking for her when things went quiet in her room, figuring she'd miraculously fallen asleep in her bed. I opened the door a crack and peeked in. Didn't see her on the bed; didn't see her on the floor. The only places not in my line of vision were the closet (in which she thinks Big Brother's mythical Night Sleep Waker lives and, for that reason, in which she would never sleep) and the changing table. Could it be?
Indeed it was. I entered the room and looked at the built-in desk-turned-diaper changing station along the wall to my right. There she was, her knees tucked beneath her, her tush in the air, and a wad of baby wipes in each hand. I can only imagine what it was she was doing when exhaustion overcame her...
posted by Lisa Strandberg at 10:52 PM
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