This morning - 5:30 a.m.
Em:(whispering) "Mama? Mama? Can I open up one present now?"
Me: "Emily - Go back to sleep! No! No presents at 5:30 in the morning!"
Em: (Whispering still) "Mama? What time can I open presents?"
Me: "EMILY! Go back to sleep!"
Em: "Mama? Mama! Can I open them at 8:00?"
Me: "Emily, please. Please go back to sleep. It is too early to discuss this."
Em: "Mama? Mama? Mama? How about 8:00? Can I open them at 8:00?"
Me: Silence.
Em: "Mama? Mama? Mama?...Mama? Is 8:00 OK? Can I open them at 8:00?"
Me: "Listen, if you go back to sleep, you can open one present at 8:00, then we'll go to the bakery and get your cake.."
Em: "And a candle like an 8?"
Me: "Yes, we can get a candle like an 8"
Em: "And ice cream? Can we get ice cream?"
Me: "Of course. You have to go back to sleep though."
Em: "So at 8:00, I can open one present...and we'll go and get my cake....and a birthday candle like an 8, and vanilla ice cream...and then will you take me to lunch?"
Me: Silence
Em: "Mama? Mama?"
Me: ( defeated tone) "Yes. Yes to everything - just go BACK to sleep. Please - P-l-e-a-s-e."
Em: "OK Mama - see you at 8:00!"
Originally published May 22, 2006 at The Gimlet Eye
Em:(whispering) "Mama? Mama? Can I open up one present now?"
Me: "Emily - Go back to sleep! No! No presents at 5:30 in the morning!"
Em: (Whispering still) "Mama? What time can I open presents?"
Me: "EMILY! Go back to sleep!"
Em: "Mama? Mama! Can I open them at 8:00?"
Me: "Emily, please. Please go back to sleep. It is too early to discuss this."
Em: "Mama? Mama? Mama? How about 8:00? Can I open them at 8:00?"
Me: Silence.
Em: "Mama? Mama? Mama?...Mama? Is 8:00 OK? Can I open them at 8:00?"
Me: "Listen, if you go back to sleep, you can open one present at 8:00, then we'll go to the bakery and get your cake.."
Em: "And a candle like an 8?"
Me: "Yes, we can get a candle like an 8"
Em: "And ice cream? Can we get ice cream?"
Me: "Of course. You have to go back to sleep though."
Em: "So at 8:00, I can open one present...and we'll go and get my cake....and a birthday candle like an 8, and vanilla ice cream...and then will you take me to lunch?"
Me: Silence
Em: "Mama? Mama?"
Me: ( defeated tone) "Yes. Yes to everything - just go BACK to sleep. Please - P-l-e-a-s-e."
Em: "OK Mama - see you at 8:00!"
Originally published May 22, 2006 at The Gimlet Eye
2 Baleful Regards:
Happy Birthday Emily!!
HAH MarciaAnn! I will not tell her you thought that, as she will expect gifts.
This is an old post, back from 2006 when she was turning 8...which was shocking enough, but she turns 14 this upcoming May.
And she still doesn't sleep much past 8 - even on weekends.
OH and now her pleas are typed on typewriter and flung at me.
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