The last couple of days have been rough for Mommy. I've developed a bad back for some reason. I'm thinking it might be the new posture I've adopted for the laptop. Either way, I've had a hard time dealing with things like walking and sitting. You know, the standard stuff.

Don't even get me started on the shock of pain that reverberated through my body when I tried to pick you up this morning.

All of that pain has led me to be a bit, um, grumpy.

Not terribly grumpy. (Well, I was yesterday, but you weren't around for that spell.) Just possibly not as easygoing as I might be on a normal day.

So I read you your stories tonight, tucked you in and sang your requisite three off-key songs, and kissed you good night before turning on your CD of ocean songs.

That's when all the fun begins. You try to get away with whatever you can.

"Mommy, what you doin'?"

"Mommy, where my truck book?"

"Mommy, I need go potty!"

"Mommy, please I have a drink of water."

Etc. Etc. Etc.

I let you get away with a couple of initial questions. And I dutifully allow the potty break (although it's the only time you use the potty these days and I'm slightly irked about that). But I make it clear to you that it's bedtime and that you need to stay in bed and stop calling for me every time a thought pops into your head. I've decided firm is the way to go. If I cave on that point, you run the show.

So after the trip to the potty, you started bugging me about some other mundane things and I had to use my "I'm serious, Devin" voice to convey that you really needed to go night-night and leave the chatter for the morning.

As I was gingerly dancing around Juliette (who won't move for traffic) to put away some garbage, I hear another, "Hey, Mom!"

"WHAT, DEVIN?" I firmly intoned.

"You OK?"

Pause.

Realization that my son, although slightly manipulative, is also very sweet.

I walked up the steps to peek at you, sitting nicely reading the aforementioned truck book in your bed.

"Yes, sweetie. I'm fine. My back hurts and I'm going to go lie down and rest in a minute. Thank you so much for asking me how I feel. You're so sweet."

You grinned at me. I grinned back. Sometimes chatter is definitely allowed.

Posted on May 2, 2007 09:07 PM