Bad Mommy, Part II

Drew left for Seattle this morning to work a *$!# weekend shift. Can you tell how much I hate the fact that he, an experienced business reporter who lives 300-plus miles away from his newspaper, has to drive up there every six weeks to work a Sunday cops shift? He has tried and tried to get out of it, to no avail.

Anyway, he left just as our friend Laura and her two girls, 3-year-old Carly and 6-month-old Ren, came to visit. Rachel seemed intimidated by Carly, who had no problem snatching Rachel's toys and giving them to her sister. Rachel was a bit put off when Ren started "playing" (more like trying to grasp) her toys. Soon enough, though, it was time for Rachel's nap. And Laura and the kids left soon after.

It was/is bitterly cold here, and after Rachel woke up and had lunch, I just couldn't summon the energy to take her anywhere -- a walk, the museum, even the mall to to some holiday shopping. So we ended up playing in the living room most of the day until I got really tired at 5 and lay down on the couch and closed my eyes. If Drew had been here, no problem -- he would have taken Rachel upstairs, or I would have gone down to the basement, to sleep. Instead, I had to contend with Rachel who obediently lay down on my chest to cuddle but then wanted to get up and PLAY. I finally just closed my eyes and ignored her -- even after she brought pine cones over to me and tried to make me EAT one. (I'm not kidding, there is sap all over my neck tonight). I finally sat up around 6:15, I read the paper and she played somewhat quietly at my feet, then I went into the kitchen to make dinner.

Why am I a bad mommy? Because I should have thought up interesting games for us to play this afternoon, instead of drinking cup after cup of tea to stave off laryngitis (it's true, my voice is almost gone) and trying to sleep. And somehow I forgot to give her her four bottles of milk (she only got three; two at dinner). Hey, at least I remembered lunch AND snack.

So now I am getting ready for bed, thankful that I am a working mom because I think I'd be a complete failure at staying home with her all day. I don't have anywhere near the imagination to deal with a toddler.