So my day of rest turned into a regular day of being mom with the kiddos. My friend got sick and called this morning to reschedule, and so I settled into a day of tea parties, drawing letters with Aaron, and playing Mercy’s new favorite game: “Mommy, be the Prince…”
The other day Mercy and I were playing and for some reason I started pretending like I was the Prince in the Cinderella story and Mercy pretended to be Cinderella. Now, this could be a fun exchange, what with all the dancing and singing and marrying, but unfortunately the part of the story that has especially caught my daughter’s imagination is the part where I, the Prince, am at the ball (standing in the living room) looking wistfully about, wondering aloud if I will ever meet the girl of my dreams.
I told my mom this morning that the first time I did this I must have done or said something very entertaining, because it is THE ONLY THING that Mercy wants to do now. And her expectations of the duration of my wistful living room musings have increased exponentially. So while I exhaust every ounce of my theatrical abilities exploring the Prince’s anguish, Mercy stands in the hallway out of sight with this giant grin on her face, occasionally peeking out, only to then duck her head back behind the wall. She will seriously wait fifteen minutes, and I challenge ANYONE to come up with a fifteen minute soliloquy for this guy!
By the time she does finally emerge and we dance and fall in love and get married, I am ready to collapse on the couch. And all she can say is: “Mommy, be the Prince…”
UPDATE:Â So just now I made an attempt at an abbreviated version of “Mommy, be the Prince.” Mercy just looked at me when I finished and said: “No, Mommy, be the WHOLE Prince!”
i hope when you dance she does some of her ballet moves…
what a patient girl…she has the ability to wait 15 minutes? amazing!
i am sorry you were not able to head out to the retreat center. perhaps next week? you are, of course, welcome anytime.
Erika, I feel your pain, but the accounting left me in stitches. At least you haven’t lost your sense of humor!
So sorry the retreat withered on the vine. Rain check in store soon, I hope.
Okay – this little story made me both laugh and cry. As a mom of 18 years, and about to send my little baby off to the east coast in September … this story brought back a rush of memories of days spent “being mommy.” Some of those days I wished away … thinking I should be doing something more “spiritual” … but looking back,I now realize that doing things like this with my daughter were the most powerfully spiritual things I ever could have done.
Being the mom of 3, I completely understand the need for rest. Being a teacher by gifting, I completely understand the need for learning and growing and quiet time to gather one’s soul.
But as I watched my 18-year old race out of the house tonight to go to someone’s bonfire … what I wouldn’t give for one more day “to be the WHOLE prince …”
Savor every minute; Mercy will be blowing you kisses as she heads out to someone’s bonfire before you know it!
😉 blessings from Iowa,
alice
Erika, the Lord has blessed your little Mercy with a great gift–the ability to wait. Some psychologists did a test on 2-year-olds some time back. They gave the children a marshmallow with a choice and a promise. Each child was told she could eat one marshmallow right away or she coud wait ten minutes before eating the first one and then the psychologist would give her a second marshmallow to eat as well. The choice? Eat one marshmallow now or eat two marshmallows later. They put the first marshmallow in front of the child and then left the room. Children were observed to see what they would do. I can’t remember the percentages, but some ate one marshmallow right away, others waited and ate two. All the children were followed for many years as they went through school. The marshmallow test was a predictor of academic success and achievement. Those who could wait ten minutes in order to get a second marshmallow were later able to get their college degrees. I am sure you could google up some information on this–it is a famous study. Maybe Mercy will be a doctor someday. She can wait 15 minutes!
Alice,
Your comment touched me. Everyone always tells us new moms to take the long view and really savor these days because they are indeed fleeting. And I am always amazed at how easy it is to forget that–especially with two so close together (and soon a third) at that stage when absolutely everything is so high-need/high-maintenance. It’s like, if I can just get THROUGH this day! But as I read your words and caught back my own tears imagining Mercy in sixteen years and standing in your shoes, I was reminded of how the very things I just want to get through are the gifts; those things I will long for and remember so fondly. Thank you for that perspective. Gotta run–a princess is calling!
Aunt Kristen,
I had not thought much about her demonstration of the ability to wait: that is fascinating to think about! Although, I am not sure that she would fare so well with marshmallows.
🙂