Gold stars

Cardin has been full of quick wit and comebacks lately. It is, by far, one of my favorite things about her. She is so honest and candid in her questions and feedback. Often times, her interpretation of a slang saying is so literal that it makes you nearly pee yourself trying to explain to her what you actually meant.

Take for example our conversation this past week over her bathroom usage. She announces she has peed and awaits a response and my presence…

Tick….
Tick….
Tick….

In an effort to teach her to be more self sufficient and prepare her for her days in kindergarten and beyond we have been forcing her to be more independent and proactive. Listen lady, this is harder than it seems. Natural instinct takes over to run to your kid when they call, so stopping my own desire to do everything for her has taken a lot of self control. And so, I shout from the other room “would you like a medal or a gold star? Make sure you wash your hands and flush the toilet. ”

Eventually, she prances out of the bathroom, dressed and hands washed; without further adieu.

Later that evening, while I run a bath, Cardin decides its time for another go around of “let’s test mommy”. She gets on the toilet and instead of announcing that she is finished, she looks at me and, in her most serious voice, is all “where is my gold star?”

This is the glory of what I get to hear everyday. I love that she is smart enough to understand and remember my sarcasm.