Marshmallow Brains

Christmas cookies are baking, stew is on the stove, dishes are everywhere, and its icing outside. They say that it isn't supposed to get too bad, but we will just have to see. Bennett is on his way home, and he said that the roads are getting pretty bad out there.

Now, let me clarify. There is a big difference between bad here in Texas, and bad in places like NY are too different things. When you have a little ice here, things shut down. There is a run on the grocery stores. Things get bad.

Now, up there it takes a really bad ice storm to shut things down. And from what I understand they recently had one, so they know.

Anyways, I have said all of this to paint the picture for the story that I am about to tell you. Alyssa came up, and so sweetly said, "Can I sit in your lap?" I look down and smile. She doesn't ask very often. She is growing up so fast. At a rate that my heart cannot process it. I know that I have but a few short moments in time, before she will be in her own house hold, cooking her own family dinner, looking out at the weather, and she will be the one saying a prayer that her husband will arrive home safely.

I draw her up into my lap. She is so beautiful. "Why did you childs?" (that's they way that she says children) I think for just a moment before replying, "so that I could have someone to love. Someone to make cookies with. Someone to show things to."

"No, I say, why you want childs, you know before Makayla was born." Hummm, I am not sure how to answer this. Perhaps she is feeling like she doesn't enjoy sharing mommy with Makayla. "I wanted you to have a little sister to play with," I reply.

"No, I mean, I have a baby in my tummy, whats her name? and hold on, wait right there." At this point she runs to the refrigerator, and grabs a picture that she drew of the baby in her tummy. Every since Makayla was born she as been compelled to tell everyone she meets that there is a baby in her tummy named Curly.

So at this point I am at a loss. I mean, what do I say. The baby in her tummy, this Curly is very important. I want to encourage her to use her mind, her imagination, and learn. I want her to dream. But at the same time I don't want to allow her to .... I don't know. I mean, come on, telling the lady at the counter of the store, "hey, I have a baby in my tummy, her names is Curly, and she will come out when she is big enough," is only so funny the first 100 or so times. After that you begin to hope they don't understand her. And it won't be so funny when she gets older. I mean, right now she is three. What about when she is thirteen. I know that she won't be saying these things when she is thirteen, or at least I hope that she isn't. But the concept is the same. I want her to grow.

So as I sit there and contemplate on how much she is growing, and how to help her along life's pathways, she goes about her way, doing her own thing. Daddy gets home and he wants to know why I have a orange dot on my nose...."we had to have them..." I explain. And then Alyssa shows him the presents under the tree. My mother-in-law sent them.

"Mommy can we open them now?" All day she has been asking. Again I tell her, "Not until Christmas day." She walks away for just a moment, and then comes back..."Can I move the Christmas Star to 25?" As I laugh hysterically, I remember that I have nothing to fear...Curlies will come and go. There will be other things. And she is going to grow up just fine. After all, I am not raising Marshmallow brains. :)