I Know How I Rank
Last night, as I was turning off the lights in preparation for tucking Alexis into her miniature bed, she stumbled upon my sticker stash. The sticker stash that I have been using to reward her for staying in her bed all night, and that I aspire to one day use as a reward her for a successful potty breaks should pigs fly, Mars go into retrograde, and the miracle of pottying in the toilet ever actually happen. She clutched the edges of that sheet of stickers, staring hard with squinted blue eyes, trying to determine exactly which Dora sticker she should ask to have.
I told her, "You can have one in the morning if you stay in your bed all night."
She continued to stare and then excitedly spewed, "Dis one! Dora! Boots! Puuuuuweeze?"
I was tired, and I was weak, so I decided to let her have a sticker right then and there.
I carefully peeled it from the backing and she hurriedly adhered it to the back of her hand. With a grin, a "Dank you!" and a kiss, she snuggled into her sandpaper-like Mickey Mouse sheets. She softly stroked the precious Dora sticker, whispering excitedly to herself, until she finally fell sound asleep.
A few hours later, I heard the familiar sounds of tiny toddler feet shuffling quietly into our room. "Water, please," she whispered. It seemed a long way to walk for a drink of the exact same water that was in her cup right next to her bed, but there's really no point in arguing at 2:00 in the morning. As she handed the bottle back to me, I said, "Go back to bed, Alexis." She shuffled her bare little feet a few inches toward the door then paused. As she peered down at her tiny hands, softly illuminated by the glow of the alarm clock, her brow furrowed deep with thought.
Slowly, carefully, she peeled the Dora sticker from the back of her left hand and handed it to me. "Cuddle, please?" she hesitantly whispered.
My little Dora minion was willing to sacrifice a favorite sticker if it meant she could cuddle with me in my bed. Who could say no to that?
Friday, April 11, 2008
Reader Comments (38)
You're SUCH A SUCKER!
Heh - and so am I. I write this post next to my sleeping infant in MY bed. *sigh*
I would have to give in there too....I mean how often do we get to be put before Dora? Take it while you can. How is the Etsy store doing?
Um - I suck so I'm leaving this as a comment. But - yes, in my decrepit-ass ghetto hoopdy bed with a 30 lbs. infant. *sigh* It looks like my bed was used in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" but because it was not made of brass it didn't survive as well.
And twitter? Come on, do you think people would actually want to know the derangement of my day in play-by-play form? I don't want to scare my 3 readers away!
Oooooo - she's the master. I bow before her toddler charm, her perfect use of cuteness and humility. The toddler needs a tiara, she does. Girl, I'd have had her in the bed in a heartbeat! She's GOOD. And so sweet!!!
Oh I would have totally caved. HOw can you say no to that!!!!!!
I love it. Little Dora minion.
I'm not sure that I rank above the "puppa" and the "kitteeeee" somedays. Knowing how obsessed she is with Dora, this must be a wonderful feeling, even at 2am. Mom's rule, Dora drools.
Oooh! I can tell you're secretly a comment whore, too! So I'm commenting again, too! I KNOW you like it, you dirty comment whore you!
And I'll have you know I actually had 32 comments on one post this week. Yeah, I'm THAT COOL. (Now that doesn't negate the fact that I've done posts that NOBODY has commented on . . but hell it has to be worth SOMETHING.) Can't you recruit me some more readers?
LMAO....
Seriously start filling out the paper work for Harvard. :)
how sweet is that?
oh, yeah, and Alexis was very sweet, too, bartering her coveted Dora sticker!
LSHM...if you're still trying to comment AGAIN, I'm on twitter...it's kinda fun...come over to the dark side!!!
Sweetest toddler gesture ever! Those pics of her alone make my heart melt.
"Ooohhh man," Dora currency. And she's spending it so wisely.
Smart kiddo.
Oh my, now I want to cuddle Alexis!
It's a good thing I'm not her mom - I'd be putty in her sweet chubby hands.
She is so delightful! So, did you take the sticker?!? ;-)
Awww that is so sweet!! I would have given in to that too!
Oooh, you rank right up there, huh? Felt good, huh? :)
*gasp* *sniff*
SUCKAH!!!!
Oh....I mean....how adorable!
(Nah...suckah!)
Oh my gosh I know this sounds silly, but that almost made me cry. Lol! I can't wait till my girls are that age, but uggggh...it goes by too quick. :( Oh my goodness, now I am crying! Lol. I can't believe my babies will be one in June. And then they are going to walk, talk, go to school, get boyfriends, go to college, and I will never see them except once a year on Christmas or something. :( Lol!!! Okay, I will stop!!
Very cute story though! I would have given in also.
that is the cutest thing i have heard all day!! i hope you didn't take that sticker from her though!!
Looks and brains, too! For her to understand she could use the sticker to barter for cuddles is really something. And so cute--but, then again, if it was me, I would have granted her ANYTHING SHE WANTED after hearing the "Dank You." I mean, really..."Dank You"? How stinkin' cute is that anyway. Oh man, you are in SUCH trouble...
That is amazing. You are raising such the smart little one! :) I'm proud of her.
You might be in trouble in the teen years ;)
That is so sweet!!! I actually awwwed out loud.
Awwww... that's really sweet.
Aww! That it just the sweetest post! Wow is she polite!
Wow Momma dear. You must be pretty great to cuddle with if she'll give up Dora for you!? Whoa. That's VERY sweet.
That is one of the cutest things I have ever heard. It is scary how smart that kid is already! And, sweet, and cute...wow, you better buy a really big stick. (To beat the line of boys off of your doorstep)
You've got bling!
she is a sweetie.
and you? you, my dear, are a sucker of the highest order :-)
AWWWWWWWWW I totally would have caved too! LOL
Oh my gosh! What a precious story!
Wow you got top dog over Dora! I love the cuddles too!
She cashed in her sticker!!! I LOVE her!!
That would melt any grinch heart! I know it melted mine! How could you say no? You just couldn't!
At least she has the process of returning things down. That will come in handy at the mall.
She won all over on that one. How sweet!
that is super sweet
and at least you totally know she played you ;)
That is so sweet I almost cried. Almost. Then I visualized her at 15 using a well-planned manipulation to get out of being grounded for breaking curfew. And then I looked at the pictures. AND MELTED. You are so in big trouble, MOm! ;o)