A special supper for Daddy

	A special supper for Daddy
Some People's Parents	No previous file \| TOC \| Next

"Slidown it, again!"

"No, little one. It's time to leave. It's a special day for Mommy and Daddy, and Mommy wants to make a special supper for Daddy."

"Do it, slidown, again!"

"You already slid down the slide, it's time to leave."

"Do it! Slidown! Again!"

Mommy, reluctantly, gave in with a sigh. "One more slide, then go home?"

"Slidown, again? Home?"

"Yes."

"OK. Slidown, again."

He liked Indian food, so she would make a lamb curry, a vegetable curry, and some rice.

The little one came running over from the slide. "Slidown, again?"

"No, time to go home."

"Slidown! Again!"

"Push the stroller, or get in?"

"Slidown, again?"

"No. Push the stroller? Sit down?"

"No. Slidown!"

Mommy took a little hand. "Come with Mommy, now."

"No! Slidown!"

"Do you want to push the stroller, or ride in it?"

"OK," the little one gave in. 'Push!"

When they got home, the little one made it very clear what he wanted to do.

"Mommy? Go down. Go down, Mommy."

"Yes, little one. Go play downstairs with your big brother."

The little one strutted importantly down the stairs, holding the rail and taking two steps on each stair.

Mommy turned to the kitchen. It was the anniversary of their first date, when they'd gone to a coffeehouse after work to chat over a leisurely supper, and she wanted supper to be special. She had the lamb, ready to be cut up, fresh vegetables, rice, and a choice of Patak curry sauces.

The pot she needed wasn't in its usual place. She checked the dirty dishes, and there it was.

Mommy sighed and started cleaning the pots and plates and cutlery that were already in the sink. The little one heard running water in the sink, immediately dashed upstairs to the kitchen, then dragged the chair over to the counter by Mommy and climbed up on the seat.

"Mine!" A shout, a grab for a coffee mug, and then it was filled with soapy water. Mommy frowned and in a stridently cheerfully voice said "Careful, little one! don't spill the water!"

"Mine glass!" pulling the mug tightly to the chest.

Only a little bit splashed on the sweatshirt, but Mommy could see that if the mug tilted just a little further, more would pour down over the arm and chest. She reached to steady the mug, saying, "Careful, little one!" in an alarmed voice.

The little one pulled back, turning away quickly to hide the mug out of reach of Mommy. None of the spilled water hit the chest or arm. It fell on the floor in a wide arc around the chair, except for some that hit the chair back and fell on the chair seat to splash on the pair of little socks.

Mommy firmly grasped the little one's shoulders, and set the child on the floor. Then, just as firmly, she took the nearly empty mug away and put it in the sink.

"Mine! Mine glass!"

"Wet! Baby all wet! We have to dry you off, take your socks off. Mommy has to clean up the mess." Mommy sighed, then wrung out the cloth and started wiping up water.

"Mine! Do it, clean up!" The little one grabbed the cloth from Mommy and started pushing it through the water.

"Sure. You do it. Mommy has another cloth." Mommy grabbed a towel and started wiping up.

"No! Not you clea'up! N'you clea'up!"

"No! Don't stand in it!" Mommy grabbed the little one by the waist and moved the little one back.

"Ewww. You got your pants wet, too? I thought you only got your socks? Wait. That's the wrong side." Mommy looked at the pants. The wet formed a familiar pattern.

"You've overflowed your diaper. I guess I should have changed you as soon as I got home."

"Do it, change piar?"

"Yes, I have to change your diaper." A couple of swipes and the large towel got most of the water off the floor.

"Do it. Poopy piar. I got poopy!"

Mommy took the little one upstairs, draped the towel over the edge of the laundry basket to dry, and then changed the diaper. It was overfull, but not poopy. She changed the little one into clean socks and clean pants, as well.

"Mine! My glass!" Gone and lamented were the days when a short distraction would cause the little one to forget something.

"No, little one. Downstairs. Go with your big brother."

"Bad." Her precious little one was being very judgmental lately.

"It's OK, Mom. I got him." Big brother smiled at Mommy and carried the little one downstairs. Their receding voices floated back up the stairs.

"Monsters Inc?"

"You already saw the whole movie twice today. Can't we watch cartoons?"

"Do it! Monsters Inc!"

"You can climb on my back, OK?"

"M'Donald's and climb up!"

Mommy sighed and surveyed her progress. Several plates were cleaned and starting to dry, and there was almost room in the sink for the big pot. She started on the rest of the stuff in the sink.

"Little one! No! I gotcha."

"Get brother! Grrr. Puppy."

From the sounds of it, Mommy thought the little one might have been diverted from joining her at the sink just in time.

"You wanna watch Monsters Inc?"

"Do it! Monsters Inc!"

Mommy now had the pot washed and dried. She reached into the fridge for the lamb, to cut it up for the curry. The little one came dashing across the kitchen, dragged the chair over to the sink, and started to climb up on it.

The phone rang. Mommy scooped up the little one in one arm, set down the meat and walked to the phone. She wrinkled her nose at a familiar smell.

"Hello?"

"Hi, honey. I'm sorry I didn't phone earlier. I got a ride downtown and this is the first chance I've had to phone, and I'm sorry I didn't give you more notice."

'Mine! Mine phone! Talk to Daddy!"

"Here's the little one, dear. He insists."

"Hi, little one"

"Birthday presents! M'Donalds and climb up!"

"Thanks, little one, for ..."

"Down! Do it! Down now!"

"I guess he's told you and that's all there is to be said!"

"Isn't he sweet?"

"Well, most of the time, but today ..."

"There's my bus! See you in twenty minutes! Love you!"

"Oh! Kisses!"

"Kisses!" (Click)

The little one was in the kitchen, already on the chair at the sink.

"Little one! Time to check your diaper again. I think it's poopy. Then we have to go to the store. It's too late to make supper from scratch."

Supper that night was warmed up samosas from the store, with canned corn, and a biryani-spiced rice with some peas in it. Daddy thought it was excellent.

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