Some time alone

Today Amy had "one of those days". She woke up cranky and irritable, and just became more and more grouchy as the day went on. She picked fights with her sisters. Every minor bump became a major catastrophe. She cried when the TV was turned off. She screamed when she dropped a cracker and it broke to pieces. She threw a fit when she didn't like what I served for dinner.

As the girls headed upstairs to brush their teeth and take baths, she slipped and bumped her knee on the floor. Once again, the tears erupted. I was tempted to just carry her upstairs and put her to bed without a bath, just to end the chaos for the night. But I looked closely at her, and saw that she just looked exhausted. Her eyes were puffy, and her face was flushed. I sent Beth and Amy upstairs with Dan and told him to go ahead with their bath while I sat with Amy.

We cuddled up in the rocking chair, and for a few minutes I didn't say anything. Slowly, the tears stopped, and we continued to rock together. Finally, she looked up at me and said, "Mommy, it really hurts so much. Right here", pointing to her throat.

Ah, the endless cold. Amy has actually been the healthiest one in the bunch for a few weeks now, but I think it is catching up to her. I know that I myself become more short-tempered and tired when feeling sick, so no wonder her day was so rough. I offered her a special treat - a bath all by herself. She perked up immediately, saying "You mean, I could LIE DOWN in the tub?!!"

Strangely enough, I don't think Amy has ever HAD a bath by herself. Ever since she graduated from the infant tub years ago, she has had her baths with Beth, and then with Erin. But tonight, she enjoyed a long, hot tub, all by herself. By the time she was toweled off, massaged with some lotion, and dressed in her yellow blanket sleeper, her mood was markedly improved. After a few stories and her bedtime prayers, she was tucked in happily, and we heard her talking eagerly about the things she plans to do tomorrow.

Living together in one "big happy family" is wonderful, but sometimes everyone just needs some time to be alone. While Amy's behavior left much to be desired today, I still think she needed and deserved some TLC. Even three-year-olds need a little pampering sometimes.