My afternoon with a 3 year old

My friend R needed some help watching her 3 year old daughter today while an interior design planner came over to help her for two hours. She asked if I would mind watching S while this meeting happened, so long as I was still able to (you know, meaning that I wasn't on my way to or in the hospital). I gladly accepted and headed over there today at noon.

I took some coloring papers and crayons with me, thinking that this might keep S busy for a while. Boy (or rather, Girl), was I right! These papers kept S busy for almost an hour! She colored a butterfly (which when folded correctly makes an egg) and I colored some easter eggs with her help. S picked the colors and I asked her where I should color with that color. Perfect harmony.

At one point during our coloring, R's phone rang. (It was charging in the kitchen.) S shouted "Mom, your phone is ringing." To which R thanked S. As R answered her phone, S told her mom that she could go talk in the other room (as it was interrupting our coloring). LOL

When S got bored with coloring, I had her go get her favorite stuffed animal (Moomin troll) and some books so we could go read. The first book I was given to read was about a little chick who went outside to find a worm-friend to play with. The second book I was told I couldn't read the words, but we could only look at the pictures. (Was my Finnish that bad?) Except for one page where she said I could read the words (there wasn't that many).

By this point S got tired of the books and so I tickled her feet. She squealed. Next, I used my hands to represent little animals, with accompanying sounds, walking/wiggling towards her on the bed to tickle her. S loved this and kept asking for different animals to come get her. I finger-walked cows, sheep, badgers, frogs, rabbits, moose, a bird and many other animals to tickle her. When she got a bit too excited and started to smack my hands, I segued the game to the next activity.

This is when she told me that her doll, who has the exact same name as her newest cousin, needed his diaper changed. I asked S if she could show me how to change the diaper because I didn't know how. She gave me a funny looked and asked why I didn't know who to change a diaper. I told her I hadn't needed to do it yet. So, S told me you had to take the pants off first and I got her to show me how. Then she told me to take the diaper off. I half pulled it off and she did the rest. Then the diaper needed to be washed in the washing machine, where S disappeared to the other room for a second and then came back proclaiming that the diaper was now clean, but it needed to dry. S put the 'wet' diaper on the window sill and brought the new and clean one back to the baby where she proceeded to diaper the baby! This little girl is brilliant!

Next we had to feed the baby, but first she had to find the food jar. Once the food jar was found, food was put on a plate and fed to the baby with a spoon. But, the baby had to be in my arms and reclining back. It could not be in the car seat to be fed. The baby was very hungry and ate two plates full of food.

After the baby was fed, I finally got S to agree that she was hungry too. So, we brought the baby into the kitchen in his car seat, on the floor next to S, while we ate our lunch. S was very hungry too and ate two huge helpings of macaroni casserole, plus one slice of tomato and some milk. After lunch I gave her a zucchini cookie I had baked the other day. S commented on how soft the cookie was and then wanted to know why it was so soft. (Uh, how do you explain that to a 3 year old?)

At some point, R brought their kitty, Anku, into the kitchen for some love because he was helping R and the lady a bit too much.

S and I then colored a bit more and that was the whole two hours!

After the interior design lady left, R and I ate a bit of lunch and then got ready to head downtown for an ice cream. The weather was just beautiful to head outside! During the 2 km walk waddle to the ice cream cafe, R tried to get her daughter to sleep, but S fought it as much as she could. (Imagine two very pregnant women waddling down the sidewalks and through town and that is the funny sight you would have seen. We at least got a giggle out of it.) It was only the last couple of minutes before we made it to the cafe that S quieted down and fell asleep. This little girl has such a mind and will of her own. R and I were able to eat our ice cream in peace and then catch the bus back to their house, as there was no way we could have survived the walk waddle home.

After I used the restroom one last time and said my goodbyes, S started crying because she didn't want me to leave (and I think she was also still a bit sleepy from her nap). Aww, poor girl! R told her daughter that I'd come over again soon and that they could also come visit me and Paxlet when he's born. 

I loved my afternoon with S (and her mom). She's such an independent, spirited and sweet little girl. But, man oh man, am I exhausted now! I'd love to take a nap, but I think I'll just turn in early this evening in hopes of getting a good night's sleep.

I can only hope that my Paxlet grows up to be such a great kid like her.

p.s. All of the conversations with S are in Finnish as she doesn't speak English.