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conuly
In my family, we go out to dinner on birthdays. Generally. Not always - we didn't for Jenn's last birthday, but often. And when we go out to dinner, we argue over what we're getting because we always get to share. This is fair, right?
(And yes, we bring Ana along. If she's feeling so bad she can't behave, we pick her up and take her outside to calm down.)
I don't remember why we started doing that, but I'm already trying to figure out where we can go for my birthday that's cheap.
Every time somebody leaves Ana's house, whoever is staying behind goes to the window and waves. Ana gets quite upset if somehow we miss "Look out the window". Why? Because one day, her mom had left, and then come back to pick something up, and Ana really freaked out. If her mom could come back, maybe she was still there, waiting right outside the door! So I raced her to the window to wave to her mother. Jenn was surprised. She was less surprised the next day when Ana insisted we do it again. By the third day, when Ana and Jenn did the same to me as I left, a bona fide tradition had started.
Now, Ana's convinced that every day, before I leave, she has a right to a "short walk". Why? Because I did it twice with her, since she hadn't been outside much. And I'm such a pushover, I can see this'll be happening for years to come.
When she puts on her mittens, she gives us a thumbs-up sign. Mostly to prove that they're on properly, but also because she thinks it's fun. We once let her eat her food at her little table, now she wants to do that all the time. She pushes me over and "helps" me up, and I go "ah.. ah... AH!", so now I have to say that every time we do this. Her naptime routine is so complicated, it practically requires a diagram (snack, potty, diaper, story or three on my lap, songs and rocking on my lap, tuck into bed, say "snug as a bug in a rug", pass over some stuffed animal, sing some more while patting the back, give a kiss goodnight, close door as leaving.)
We didn't *plan* any of these little customs. They just happened. And the things you think you're always going to do, they don't happen. There's a deeper meaning in this, I'm sure.
(And yes, we bring Ana along. If she's feeling so bad she can't behave, we pick her up and take her outside to calm down.)
I don't remember why we started doing that, but I'm already trying to figure out where we can go for my birthday that's cheap.
Every time somebody leaves Ana's house, whoever is staying behind goes to the window and waves. Ana gets quite upset if somehow we miss "Look out the window". Why? Because one day, her mom had left, and then come back to pick something up, and Ana really freaked out. If her mom could come back, maybe she was still there, waiting right outside the door! So I raced her to the window to wave to her mother. Jenn was surprised. She was less surprised the next day when Ana insisted we do it again. By the third day, when Ana and Jenn did the same to me as I left, a bona fide tradition had started.
Now, Ana's convinced that every day, before I leave, she has a right to a "short walk". Why? Because I did it twice with her, since she hadn't been outside much. And I'm such a pushover, I can see this'll be happening for years to come.
When she puts on her mittens, she gives us a thumbs-up sign. Mostly to prove that they're on properly, but also because she thinks it's fun. We once let her eat her food at her little table, now she wants to do that all the time. She pushes me over and "helps" me up, and I go "ah.. ah... AH!", so now I have to say that every time we do this. Her naptime routine is so complicated, it practically requires a diagram (snack, potty, diaper, story or three on my lap, songs and rocking on my lap, tuck into bed, say "snug as a bug in a rug", pass over some stuffed animal, sing some more while patting the back, give a kiss goodnight, close door as leaving.)
We didn't *plan* any of these little customs. They just happened. And the things you think you're always going to do, they don't happen. There's a deeper meaning in this, I'm sure.
