The week after Mother's Day, I decided it was time to finally go out and find some maternity clothes. We were still in the thick of our kitchen project, so I left late in the evening with Eleanor in tow while Grant continued working. I have another, shall we say, "special" story from this evening, but I'll share it another time. I took Eleanor and an armful of clothes into the dressing room to try to make some decisions (a very difficult thing for me). Due to the late hour, the store wasn't very busy. We were probably the only ones in the dressing room, so I took the biggest room they had. It had a triple mirror in the corner that Eleanor fell in love with right away. She would say, "Look, Mommy. Two Eleanors!" Then, she would count her reflections, "One, two!" I tried to point out that there were three Eleanors, but she liked to just focus on the two. Oh well.
She proceeded to narrate to me everything that "Two Eleanors" were doing. "Two Eleanors jumping, Mommy," etc. I knew she was getting tired, though it was easily indicated by the fact that she kept laying on the floor and scooting around, basically sweeping with her shirt. I eventually got so grossed out by the who-knows-what she was probably rubbing onto her hands, shirt, and face that I convinced her to roll and play on the large bench in the changing stall (thank goodness for that). Aside: sometimes I think kids were sent to people like me for the sole purpose of grossing me out on a daily basis. Sure, roll around in the dirt and filth that has come in from the streets on people's shoes. Make sure you rub your hands all over that floor because we know you'll have your fingers in your mouth in a matter of seconds, seeing how you're teething and everything. . . but I digress.
At one point, I asked her to do something (I don't remember what because it wasn't a big deal), and she tentatively said no to me. I told her that if Two Eleanors (sticking with the theme) said no to Mommy, they would have to have a time out. The threat worked, and she complied. Less than a minute later, she very firmly told me, "no." I knew what she was doing, because I hadn't even been talking to her. I told her in mock sternness that Two Eleanors needed a time out and had to get in time out right now. She grinned and went and stood in the corner. I think I remember the pleasant narration continuing: "Two Eleanors in time out. Two Eleanor said no to Mommy." Then, she turned around and said, "Sorry, Mommy." I played along and told her okay, Two Eleanors could come out of time out. She went back to sitting on the bench, and in less than a minute, she told me "no!" again. We had created a game.
She still randomly decides to call herself Two Eleanors. I don't know if it is brought on when she notices her reflection somewhere, or if she just gets in that Two Eleanors mood.
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The scene: yesterday evening. I'm laying down for a moment while Eleanor drinks her milk for the night and Grant is working on the computer.
She wanders into my room and asks, "Whassa matter, Mommy?"
"Nothing," I reply, "I'm just resting for a bit."
"Oh," she says, smiling. "I wanna rest with you in your bed." She climbs up next to me and continues to drink her milk. I kiss her several times on the cheek, and she wipes them off.
I pretend to be offended, telling her, "Don't you wipe off my kisses!" as I kiss her some more. Each time, she wipes them off again.
After several times of this, I give her the same, several kisses on the cheek, and she turns to me and says, "On my porehead (forehead)?" I give her several kisses on her forehead on the side closest to me. She turns to face me and says, "This side?" I kiss the other side of her forehead.
Again, "This side?" I kiss her forehead again. She shakes her head, and says, "No. Right here," pointing to her other cheek. I give her the same kisses where she had pointed on her cheek.
She lets out a pleased giggle and says, "That's wots (lots)."
She is so sweet, I think she's going to be a good big sister.
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