I had a wonderful time when my parents were here. Being with Sydney 24/7 was tiring, but it was so much fun. I laughed more than I laughed in years, and at least when I went to bed at night, I fell asleep. She was a wonderful cure for insomnia. Each day was filled with fun and little gems of Sydneyisms.
When she took her baths, she wanted a mesh puff like I have. I had an extra one, so I let her use it. She got it all sudsy, and started scrubbing. Of course, she doesn't start scrubbing until she has played for about 10 or 15 minutes. Then she reluctantly gets to the business of the bath. She stood in the tub, scrubbing herself, and she put the puff under one arm and stood there. I asked her what she was doing, and she said 'This is an area that gets very stinky. You have to leave the sponge here for about five minutes so it gets very clean.' When she felt five minutes had passed (it was really only one), she switched arms and did it again. You can't argue with logic like that!
Monday we stopped at Bob Evans for dinner after the zoo. We were all too tired from walking around the zoo to come home and think of making dinner. Bob Evans has Kraft Macaroni & Cheese on the menu for kids. Of course, Sydney ordered mac & cheese. When it came, she knew it was Kraft. She told us 'this is the kind Mommy makes' (yes, her mother and I are blue box kids. We never cared for homemade. I still don't.) Yet as she ate, she declared it was even better than her Mommy makes. When she finished all of it, she tapped me on the shoulder and said 'Are we allowed to lick our plates here?' Once again, I found myself trying to stay composed as I told her 'no'. The restaurant wasn't packed, but I didn't think it was wise for her to lick her plate.
Sydney is fascinated with bathrooms. Not quite as bad as her mother was, but she is her mother's daughter. My sister has always been fascinated with bathrooms. If we went visiting with my grandparents, before long Laura would ask our host or hostess 'where is the bathroom?' and they would tell her. Laura would turn to me and say 'come with me, sissy'. And we'd go explore the bathroom. She would stand in there and say 'wow. why would they choose that color?' She didn't go through their medicine cabinets (although maybe she does now that she can reach them). She only went to the bathroom because she had nose trouble. Stores, restaurants, private houses. It didn't matter. In Junior High, Laura's class took a trip to NYC. On the way home they had mechanical troubles with the bus, and ended up at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. My sister came home telling us that the toilet seats revolved into the wall at the Waldorf. That was her big excitement!
And so, Sydney is her mother's daughter. She found it very intriguing that I have two bathrooms in the house. Technically, it's one and a half, but she considered it two. She didn't freak out at the permanent state of renovation in the upstairs bath. She kept asking 'why do you have two pottys?' Her house, and my mom's house, only has one. When we went shopping, she had to check out the bathrooms. She usually commented on the decor. At the bathrooms in the outlets, she said 'wow! This is nice!' She thinks family restrooms are the most interesting, and wants to go in them. I hate to tie up a family restroom if I'm with her and we can use the ladies' room. I kept explaining to her that there may be a little girl with her daddy or grandpa, or a little boy with his mommy or grandma who might need it. She did look in a couple of them to satisfy her curiosity.
Sydney was a great helper around the house. At home, her chore is to feed the puppies. So she did that here. Except her puppies have smaller food bowls and she fills them up full. I had to explain to her that my puppies were on a diet, and didn't need as much food. Every morning when she came downstairs, she checked their bowls. If they were empty, she put more food in them. She checked the bowls a couple of times a day too. She refilled their water bowls. She saw us feeding the wild birds outside, so she started helping with that. She especially enjoyed putting peanuts out for the squirrels, and then sitting in the dining room watching the squirrels come up to get the peanuts.
She loves to help you cook. If Mom or I were cooking, she stood on her little stool to help. The night we made pizza, she wanted to stir the dough. She stirred and stirred, and then mom helped her a little. One night we made cupcakes. She made cherry cupcakes. She mixed the batter, and then helped mom pour it into the cupcake papers. Mom had bought special papers, so we had very fancy cupcakes. When it was time to decorate them, I did the frosting and she put on all the pretty decorations. She made each of us a cupcake. Erich was at school that night, so she took his and put it on a separate plate and left it on the counter. Then she made him a 'card'. She drew him a picture, in black because that's his favorite color she said. Then she wanted to know how to spell his name- first and last. So she wrote his name, and then wrote 'I love you' but love was a heart. Then she wrote her own name on the card. She put it in an envelope, wrote his name on the outside, and left it next to his cupcake. He came home from school and saw it. When he opened the card he thought it was adorable. He had been warming up to her, but that cupcake sealed it. She had him wrapped around a finger.
The next couple of days he played with her while I was busy, they watched a movie together, he took her out to feed the birds, and walked her around the house to see the flowers. We went out to dinner one night and Erich sat next to her and entertained her the whole evening. Mom and Dad and I were grateful for a little break. Then they colored Easter eggs together. The day they left, he came downstairs as they were driving down the road, and I think he was genuinely disappointed that he had missed them. He was incredible with Sydney. It was so nice. He doesn't like kids, but you wouldn't have known it watching him with her.
We didn't get to make brownies or chocolate chip cookies. There just wasn't enough time, or enough energy. But we'll have that do to another time. Sydney told me she's coming back again soon. I don't know what soon means. Next time I will make sure to take a day or two off after they leave for my recovery. She wore me out. I don't know how my sister manages with work, a house, a husband, school, two dogs, Sydney and an eight month old. I love her dearly, but she has no off switch. Erich said it's like she has the opposite of ADD. When she plays, she gets incredibly focused on what she is playing. She can play the same thing over and over for hours. Her attention span is not like regular four year olds.
I learned some things from her. I learned laughter is the best medicine. An active four and half year old is the best cure for insomnia. Playing with her I learned how much of my imagination I have lost by this point in my life. That was sad. I used to be able to create and play and imagine just like she does. I have a new respect for my sister, and even my mom- who manages to keep up with her pretty well. But most importantly- I learned I have made the right decision to be an Aunt, not a Mommy. Some people thought I'd walk away from this adventure hearing that biological clock tick. NOPE! Some women are meant to be Aunts. I know, without a doubt, that I am one of them. And I am perfectly content as her Aunt.
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