Role Reversal

I have started babysitting three little girls a few hours a week. It has been fun and Micah looks forward to "the girls" coming and enjoys observing them. I say observe, because he rarely just picks up and starts playing with them, but is very interested in what the girls do.

I found myself with the same wide-eyed wonder the other day as we played house together. I was the big sister, Micah was my brother, Cooper (he still asks if I'm Carrissa and if he's Cooper). One of the girls was our sister, one the baby, and one the mom. I was flabbergasted, and I don't think I've ever been flabbergasted before!, at how well the mom served her role. It took her most of an hour to get dinner on the table. And this was plastic food, I remind you. The reasons it took long were very real and true to life. She'd start getting it ready, then someone would distract her. She'd need to pick up kids from piano lessons, break up a fight, help one of the kids do something. Always, calling them "honey," even if it was in a stern, reprimanding voice.

Then her phone rang. I couldn't help it, I had see what she'd do. "Mom, mom, mom," I tugged at her sleeve. "Just a minute, I'm on the phone," she mouthed to me. I had to push a little harder, but eventually she excused herself from the conversation to see what I needed. From the wagging of her finger, to the clearing of the dinner table, this little girl has been observing and I dare say, preparing for being a mom. It was really quite enlightening to watch. So that's why it takes so long to make dinner!!