house rule

When Ada is sick, we all suffer. Not because she passes whatever she has on to both Elliot and I, and that does happen, but because Ada has realized that Mommy and Daddy can't stand to hear her cough and then cry and then cough and then cry. Well last night Ada took full advantage of the fact that she is indeed smarter than the rest of us by pulling this cough/cry routine just after we put her to bed. In fact, she was so pitiful that after slaving away making cookies for her daycare, I went in to comfort her. I know how awful I feel when I'm sick and it sounded like she just needed some mama love. And it seemed to work. I picked her up, she snuggled into my shoulder and we sat in her rocking chair in a wonderful mama-Ada hug. Slowly she calmed down, her breathing slowed to a normal rhythm and I thought she had finally fallen asleep. I slowly lowered her in my arms to check if she was asleep and wah-la she was out. So I put her down in her crib and BAM just like she was 9 months old again - she popped awake. Only now she can walk, and knows the joys of playing with the Christmas decorations, and riding in her car, and climbing on all of her chairs. So now, she wanted down and out of that dark room.

I did what all parents think they'll never do, I feel into the carefully laid trap. Ada knew that I had a limit to the amount of crying I could stand, and she called me on it. She lured me into her room, lulled me into a sense of comfort with our snuggle time, and just as she sensed my guard was down she pounced. Two hours later she was still up and running around the house. So tired that the only thing she could do was laugh. I'd like to think she was laughing just for the joy of laughing, but part of me thinks she was laughing at me, because you know - she finally confirmed that she rules our house.