3 Ginger Snaps

Arden is asleep beside me right now. At almost 6 years of age, she is a very committed co-sleeper. She’s had a roommate for most of her life and she doesn’t usually spend the whole night in any one place. She grazes.  Anyway – she is asleep beside me right now because we dropped Ruby, her usual roommate, off at the camp bus today. With ruby and Charlotte both gone to camp Arden is beside herself. She’s ecstatic because there’s no one here to boss her around and she’s also a little lost – since so much of her world is defined by her close relationship with both her older sisters. 

All people who become parents get to experience family life with just one child. By contrast, it isn’t something that people born 2nd and beyond in the birth order get a lot of experience with. 

I remember those early days of new parenthood. Walking around in a blissful state after having discovered some untapped emotions.  My brain got new systems wired up. New pathways that redefined love and care and responsibility. And it all happened in a matter of moments. Or maybe the bliss was just the bliss of ignorance because when it comes to becoming a parent  I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I had and continue to have no idea what I’m doing. One way or another – I think the early days of family life possess a rare quality. And then, if and when another child enters the family, that dynamic changes and everybody who was already there has to learn to live with it while the new kid never knows anything different. How could it not shape the way that person view the world? 

It isn’t going to last very long – and I don’t think Arden would want it to. She would have climbed on the camp bus today if I’d let her – where her older sisters go, she is most often ready to charge after. And yet she knew she wasn’t going to camp this afternoon – and so she made the most of her chance to be the only show in town. 

Got a lesson in mopping from Dad. Very keen learner. Did the hallway and stairs

Landed some pretzels and chocolate milk from Grandma and had unobstructed access to the lego:

Went swimming in her undies:

Warmed up:

And got to set the dinner menu and help prepare the meal:

Kraft dinner, more chocolate milk, cucumber slices and ice cream. 

Guess who fell asleep mid-bowl?

Mission accomplished.