Yes, I know, I have been missing in action. Sorry. I am here now. I am sure there are lots of things I could tell you but at the moment I cannot remember any of them. I will get back to you when I do. For now, I just wanted to share my latest tale of humiliation at the hands of a two-year-old.
I am sure that most such tales would involve a misbehaving toddler. You know the sort of thing I mean: tantrums in the supermarket, loud usage of the wrong kind of words in public, biting other children. Normal things.
My daughter, on the other hand, humiliates me by being Smart and Organized. Now, I am not a slob. And I am not a hopelessly absent-minded professor type. But have strong tendencies in those directions, tendencies that I have to fight quite hard in order to live in a clean and tidy house with food in the fridge and even numbers of socks in the drawers (that last one never quite works out, actually). Esther, on the other hands, reminds me to floss after I brush my teeth in the morning. She insists on emptying the cutlery basket of the dishwasher, often re-organising the drawer because she wants to find a way to give the three different spoon sizes their own compartments rather than making them share. Every week, she impresses the teacher at the art club with her determination, focus and attention to detail.
Today, we were going to the supermarket. We put our coats and shoes on, I got my bag, found my keys, and opened the door. I was just about to leave when Esther suddenly turned and went to grab something from under the stairs. "Take these too", she insisted, and pulled out the reusable carrier bags.
I was flabbergasted. I haven't had the bags for that long - only a month or two - and I usually forget to bring them. This time was no exception and I would definitely have found myself in Tescos again, slapping my forehead and being annoyed with myself for having to use plastics bags for the millionth time. However, I have remembered to bring them a couple of times, and apparently that was enough for Esther to make the connection and realise that we needed them today, too.
I was proud, of course, and very impressed. But I was embarrassed, too. She is only just two. And I am ancient by comparison.So why am I frequently the more forgetful and disorganized one?!! It's just wrong!
Well, she is helpful. And incredibly cute.
So I'm not actually complaining. It's just, well, not what I would have expected. But then that's part of the fun of being a parent, isn't it?
That is such a great picture.
Posted by: Aaron Weiner | March 15, 2009 at 07:05 PM