My kid loves soup. My 19 month old takes to soup like an elderly person. Yesterday, my daughter ate an entire serving and a half of chicken soup with carrots medallions, sliced bok choy, celery and bite size chicken breast nuggets. She used a straw to drink the literal last drop in her bowl. She used her spoon, her fork, my spoon, my chopsticks. When I see my daughter's grin as she's enjoying a home cooked meal I know I'm doing something good.
Today is my mother's birthday. It's a milestone birthday. We got together and had a nice seafood dinner at my place. I spent the day prepping and cleaning. It was cathartic and in a strange way symbiotic. TG and I were home and we worked together to get things done smoothly, quickly and easily. I gave her the duster and she went around the house pushing and dusting the lower shelves and floorboards.
When I had to vacuum, her least favorite object in the house, I made sure I warned her and did so as far away as possible from her.
I think she's warming up to it slowly as she not only pets the vacuum when it's not on but now realizes it's role and job and doesn't scream out, "All done!" when she hears it turn on.
After I vacuum an area and turn it off, she'll toddle over to it and touch it and look at me. When I warn her that I'll turn it on again, she'll toddle to another room and wait for me to turn it off again. She still happily closes the utility closet door when I put it away though. Slowly but surely.
Her doctor said that her aversion to it may have come from something that happened when she was younger. "Perhaps, someone vacuumed next to her or worse used the arm attachment near her. Adults forget how monster like a vacuum can seem to a small child."
In my list of to dos for the shindig, I also had two wishlist items that we were able to accomplish, take a bath/shower. TG woke up early from her nap and we both were able to wash up.
This was much needed as TG smelled like soup. At least soup for the most part is homey and evokes comfort. I'm surprised Yankee Candle hasn't invented a 'Soup' scent.
My brother had a great idea of encapsulating my mother's hand and my daughter's hand in clay mold. My mom seemed to like this but I don't think she quite comprehended what we wanted to do. She seemed distant.
TG did make her day when she called everyone by their Chinese titles. She even called my mom by her title without a reminder or a request. She toddled over and gave her a ball and said, "Paw Paw? Ball." That was probably the best gift she received.
The day before TG and I worked on an art project for her as a present. TG painted a picture and put stickers on her modern artwork. She gave it to her today and she was thrilled.
I'd like to think my mom was pretty proud of TG and in a small part me for how I am trying to raise her. I know she doesn't completely understand how and why we do what we do but I think she knows we are doing what we think is best.
