January 29, 2011

  • My Day With Chewlee


    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    The Princess and Chewlee came over around noon so Chewlee could stay with me while the Princess went to a job interview (or two...not sure).  While she was here, Chewlee used the potty and was sure to call it to my attention.  When I gave her a *high five*, she put her hand on my arm and said, with this intense and sincere look on her face, *Now can I stay, Gramma?*  When I told the Princess, she laughed and told me this:

    Since she wasn't working and was both taking Chewlee to preschool AND picking her up, she knew Chewlee would be missing me.  So....*I* became the goal for Chewlee to work for.  First it was that she had to both pee and poop or she couldn't go to Grandma's.  So, for two weeks, she was fantastic both at home and at school.  Then, when she started acting up in school, if she wasn't good in school and didn't take her naps, she couldn't go to Grandma's.  The teachers at school were all aware of what was going on and even that she was going to stay at Grandma's on *gum day* (Friday) IF she was very, very good about EVERYTHING.  Of course, no one counted on her getting sick but she knew and still kept it up.

    When she was here earlier, she was telling me that her room was messy and I said to her, *You need to clean up your room or your mommy won't let you come back to stay with me today.*  Later, when the Princess came to pick her up, she asked her what she was going to do when they go home and Chewlee said (without any prompting), *I have to clean my room!*  The Princess was shocked but said, *Well, it's about time!  Mommy needs to clean up, too.*  So, off they went.  Chewlee did clean up her room, not great but she at least tried and it was helpful.

    Her good behavior continued when her mother dropped her off later.  She was just happy to be here for whatever reason.  She wasn't sure what she wanted to do first.  We watched Godzilla vs Gigam....well, part of it.  That is such an awful movie that even Chewlee was rolling her eyes over it and she decided it was time for some Harry Potter.  She told me she only wanted to watch it until Hagrid came to get Harry and then when Harry was on the train.  THEN it was time to watch The Lost World (which is the second in the Jurassic Park series).  Personally, I think it's only because she likes the koppies (small dinosaurs that look like upright lizards).  They look cute but are really nasty little things.  When she pulled out Madagascar and Madagascar 2, I knew she wasn't really in the mood for monsters tonight.

    She was in the mood for popcorn and even brought Papa some since we were *sharing*.  After that, it was bath time and she made the most of it.  She easily let me shampoo and creme rinse her hair as long as I didn't expect her to get out right away.  I let her play to her hearts content and she finally called me in and told me she was ready to get out.  I had to fight with her a little bit to get her hair brushed and then I braided it.  I was amazed at how long her braid was....down to her waist.  Even the Beast's jaw dropped when he saw that.

    You have to understand that brushing her hair is a feat in itself.  She will yell and accuse you of hurting her with every brush.  I found a nice bristle brush to use on her and she finally settled down and let me do it with only minimal complaints.  She loves to pull her braid over her shoulder and run her hand down it and she will switch it from shoulder to shoulder.  She then shakes her head with the braid down her back and tell you how it *tickles*.  At one point, she pulled out the tie on the braid and it came undone.  When I said, *Chewlee!  Look what you did.*  She told me she was sorry and let me rebraid it.  After only one pulling over her shoulder, she finally left it alone and ended up watching Madagascar intently.  She knows the movie so well, she always tells me what exciting thing is coming next. 

    She has finally settled down with her tee-tee on the floor and will be falling asleep soon.  It's time for me to get this posted for your perusal later.  All-in-all, it's been a fun day with her.  It's been especially nice that she is now potty-trained and liking it.  She's also wanted to spend a lot of time in my lap or else she has been combing/brushing MY hair while we are watching DVD's.  She did have one bad moment today.  She accidentally sprayed herself in the face with some body spray that I had told her to put down.  She got herself right in the face and both Papa and I got water on rags (I bathed her face well) while she complained.  When she felt better and we knew she was fine, she looked at me and said, *I'm not mad at you any more, Gramma.*  I asked her why she would be mad at me and she said.....get this....*It was YOUR perfume, Gramma!*  **Insert eyeroll here**  I DID do one thing to make her feel better....I threw the bottle of body spray in the garbage while she was watching.  When I asked her if she felt better now she got this funny look on her face (half mad, half satisfied) and said, *Yes.  Now that the bad perfume is in the garbage>*  I guess everyone and everything is responsible except for her.    Typical little kid thinking.

    Oh well.  Love you all.  Have a great Saturday.  Still no action from the Great White Hunter but we really didn't expect there to be, did we?