The Little Things

This past Monday I proudly called my mom after Sweetie and I had successfully accomplished something together for the first time...

We went grocery shopping!

I know, I know... hardly noteworthy, huh? Most every mom out there has managed hundreds of trips to the grocery store with their little one(s). What's the big deal?

Well, this little thing for most was quite a big thing for us! For starters, the three of us tend to either all grocery shop together, or Hubby goes on his own. Occasionally, if I need time to myself, Hubby will take Sweetie along with him. This is our routine. As I've mentioned before, Hubby is much more in charge of the cooking in our house than I am, so he has a better handle on what needs to be purchased. Plus, it's just much easier this way. Getting around a grocery store on my own is hard enough for me, what with managing the cart and my walking stick and increasingly numbifying left upper leg and all. I couldn't imagine regularly going with just Sweetie and I!

But we definitely were in need of a few items, and we had the time. It wasn't going to be an all-out huge undertaking. Just getting a handful of necessary things.

So we went. And we did just fine.

But first, I laid out the ground rules, making sure Sweetie could repeat them back to me (hold Mommy's hand in the parking lot, stay seated in the car cart the whole time in the store, and behave well. Also, no going potty at the store - we can't take the cart in the bathroom, and we can't leave it alone in the aisles. Go before we leave home). Oh, and there was a wee bit of bribery too (be good and we can get McDonalds for lunch on our way home. If you misbehave at all - no McDonalds).

So, after all that, Sweetie was great! She drove us around the store in her car cart and only whined a little about wanting me to get a special Sweetie food (You know, Mommy. It's small and brown. You eat it for breakfast.... Took me awhile, but I finally figured it out). And then we were done, on our way to the McDonalds drive-thru.

Yay! I was so proud of Sweetie for being so good. And so proud of me for getting this seemingly mundane task handled and completed without incident. Go, us!

Some other little things that Sweetie's impressed me with in recent weeks:

• She invented walking tag for she and I to play together outside. She knows I can't run around like she or Daddy can. So, completely on her own, she came up with a way for the two of us to play one of her favorite outdoor games.

• She's genuinely concerned for me - dare I say, scared for me - when I fall sometimes. For example, one night she came in to us in the middle of the night. When I got out of bed to take her back to her room, I ended up falling in the hallway. I was fine - it's just with the dark and my tired state and my slippy socks (like this, only Winnie the Pooh themed) fooping around to the non non-skid side of things, I sometimes fall. But Sweetie instantly started crying - for me - when I fell. I had to quickly tell her I was okay, it was alright. And then she was fine again.

Same thing when I fell yesterday evening in our living room. I was trying to carry a glass of red wine in one hand and a plate of cheese and crackers in the other. My leg started to go numb, though, and I just lost it. The wine went flying, the crackers crashed on the floor, and I crumbled along with it all. It was awesome! Heck - I meant to do it, really! I wanted to try out the WineAway product I sell through TTV. Let me tell ya - it works great!).

Anyway, it was an intense moment, what with all the food and drink spillage and the rush and confusion of quickly cleaning it all up. Sweetie started crying again. Yes, I suppose she could have been crying about the general chaos of the situation, but something told me she was mostly concerned about me. Sure enough, as soon as I told her I was okay, she calmed down. She went right on drawing her silly pictures as Hubby and I picked up the rest of the pieces.

• And this one, which has no bearing on my physical abilities (or lack thereof), but is just such a nice change from the days of Daddy Rules and Mommy Drools....

Sweetie had another nightmare a couple nights ago. When I woke to her frantic cries (she was still in her room), I woke Hubby up to go see what was the matter (see above difficulties with me walking around in the night). Hubby got to her first, but she was crying so hard that I got myself (successfully up and over) to her room as well.

No! I want Mommy!, Sweetie yelled/cried at her Daddy.

I'm here, I'm here.

A little back rubbing and Sweetie was calmed down. Turns out this dream had bugs, like beetles, crawling all over her. Yuck!

She asked me if I'd please sleep with her for a little while. Sure. We snuggled in and she cozied up to me. After just a few minutes I reassured her that I thought she would be alright now and that I was going back to my own bed.

Okay, Mommy.

With a kiss and an I love you exchanged, I left her tucked in her bed and she was fine for the rest of the night.

What a compassionate, caring Sweetie we've got, huh? Yeah - her name sure does suit her well.