Once Upon A Time There Was A Bear

The holidays are here and it’s time to hunker down and embrace the chaos. …work and the whirl of parties: school, family, and those pseudo work/networking opportunities. While most kids look forward to holiday books, my oldest daughter always wants the story about the almost-holiday mishap: yes, the time we thought it was an all-ages Open House. I should have turned around and walked out the door the minute the host said my daughter was always so fun to be around. 

All was going well, but adult parties don’t end at 8pm. By nine-ish conversation was lively and laughter filled the room but my daughter had grown bored …until she discovered little figurines which I imagined had come from some far off land during a great adventure. I learned that night that museum putty only holds down objects in the museum if the kids stay behind the red rope. As I spoke to another guest I caught my daughter successfully prying a figuring from the side table.   

“Put that down,” I said in the most pleasant voice but with pleading eyes. She just stared, the person I was speaking to waited patiently. But the tension only mounted because when time is up for a child, time is up. So again, I smiled pleasantly but spoke with stronger persuasion “We don’t touch other people’s things so put that down.” She hopped off the sofa and waved the object in front of me; tauntingly I thought. Looking directly at her I whispered again, “We don’t play with other people’s things, so let’s put it down.”

Suddenly, she happily galloped the tribal figurine across the glass table making just the kind of noise that can stop a host cold in her shoes. I strained to smile and knelt down to whisper through gritted teeth: “Read my lips!” That was it! She stopped immediately and turned with an enlightened grin.

Clapping my cheeks in her hands she squeezed tightly and pulled my face close to hers. “Oh what do I do now,” I thought.  Pulling my squished lips close to her eyes, she read out: “Once upon a time, there was a bear ….now let me read your cheeks.” Before I could respond, laughter erupted; more people than I thought had begun to wonder how I was going to wiggle out of this situation. I wasn’t, so I had to embrace it. The life of a three year old can be quite literal. 

Family and life take patience. Work takes practice. And the two together are chaotic perfection. Embrace the chaos, it’s all good.