Lucy and Her Four Parents

The timing of Lucy's adoption was flawless in many ways. One of the biggest is the fact that our boys are at an age where they have been just downright smitten with her from day one. They love to dote on her constantly. They are such a blessing because they step up to help without being asked...they put her in her car seat & highchair, they pick her up & love on her when she falls down, they share their food with her (ok, seriously..that is big because they are like ravenous dogs), they tickle & play, they make sure she is out of harm's way...all of this they do, just like her Mama & Baba, hence her four parents.

But here's the difference in three of her four "parents"....I seem to be the only disciplinarian. I'm the one that hands out the time-out's, I'm the one that says a stern "no" (and I mean it..almost every time), I'm the one who...well, you get the idea. Ok, so here's a big problem...it is very typical for all of us to load up and go to Sam's, the grocery store, Wal-Mart...whatever. We just like to go shopping. When it's just Lu and me, we usually have a very smooth shopping experience, like any two girls would. HOWEVER, when Lucy's biggest fans are with us, the chick turns on me. Suddenly putting her into the shopping cart is like trying to put a cat in the bathtub. She knows that all she has to do is whimper & whine & one of big guys will be the hero & say "ok Lucy, I will hold you!!" (with such enthusiasm, almost fierce-like, as if they are pulling her from a burning building). If I do manage to get the cat in the cart, it will only be a matter of minutes before she locks eyes with her closest "Superman" & says, "I hold you B-den (or Yick, or Baba)"...which always leads to a melted heart (as if she has just announced that her man of choice at that manipulating moment is, in fact, her favorite). Then, every...single....time....she quickly worms her way down, out of their arms & into the sweet freedom of a big-box store to explore. Grrr. That is exactly what I was trying to prevent from the get-go. **sigh** Please. She has their number on speed-dial & they fall for it every time.

But the ironic thing today is, she won't let me put her down!!! She is insisting that I hold her because she discovered a, heaven help her, ladybug on her foot!! She completely freaked out. Now Little Miss Independent wants nothing to do with running around. And she keeps checking the bottom of her foot for one of the friendly, I mean, ferocious beetles. So, the lesson of this story is, I will now be carrying a jar of ladybugs in my purse to use as needed.