Friday lunch

Friday lunch has turned into Chick-fil-A lunch with Madeline. I used to take Madeline out on Fridays for "Chick-a-pay!" just to get out of the house and break up the day. As a bonus, the CFA around the corner from me is AWESOME, despite the fact that they don't have a play area. Every time I go in there during the lunch hours with Madeline, she leaves with a balloon and a sticker. She loves Ms. Pam (a.k.a the balloon giver) and I love the service.  The grandparents have recently taken over this tradition and I get to stay home and work in peace for a little while. It's a win-win for everyone.  Sometimes, grandma and grandpa aren't available for lunch, so I take Madeline and enjoy our little date. Today was such a day.

Nap time immediately follows lunch. Nap time and bed time have turned into negotiation time. Madeline knows the routine and tries to negotiate. "Read the books", "No take a nap", "See babies", "See am-muls", "bubbles", "no bath, no bubbles", and my favorite, "cuddle mama", etc.

Recently, she's actually gone down for naps relatively easily. "Take a nap."  Wow.  I don't mess around with her when that happens.

Today, however, she played negotiating Madeline with me and it involved her CFA balloon.

Madeline: Balloon in the crib, balloon take a nap.
Mama: No balloon in the crib. The balloon can sit on mama's chair! (right next to her crib)
Madeline: (thinking the alternative over). Balloon in the crib.
Mama: The balloon can either sit in mama's chair or take a nap on the frog. (the frog is a mat shaped like a frog that Craig and I would lay down on in front of her crib for a few minutes when she was really upset about something)
Madeline: Balloon on frok! Balloon take a nap.
Mama: OK, let's get in the crib.
Madeline: (eying the balloon the whole time and rearranging her stuffed animals) Balloon ba-kite (blanket)
Mama: (I pull a blanket out for the balloon) OK! Here's the balloon's blanket! (put blanket on the balloon)
Madeline: (happy as a clam) Good night.
Mama: Good night! I love you!
Madeline: I dee wa, mama. (I dee wa is Madeline for I love you.  We have NO idea where she got this from :-)

Sometimes negotiating with Madeline is hilarious and fun. Sometimes it ends in lots of crying and tears, but today it ended with a peaceful nap.