A New Development in the Phillips' Household:
AE will boldly open her bedroom door.
Shocking, but I've been spoiled for 3 1/2 years now with having a child who regardless of falling asleep at nap time or waking at 6:30 am, would stay in her room without a sound. Well, much of a sound. Like a good little direction follower, she has obediently stayed in her room without a cry or shout. Without a heavy banging on the door. Without protest. At all.
For the last two weeks, AE has been reluctant to ACTUALLY fall asleep during her nap time. I can usually tell when she ACTUALLY falls asleep by the amount of sweat and drool on the pillow. When she doesn't ACTUALLY fall asleep, she usually entertains herself by re-reading the pre-nap books we read, taking the bow(s) out of her hair, talking to herself, pretending to have a party, etc.
In these last two weeks, AE has gotten BOLD. Once I heard her door come ajar. Then SLAM. The next day I heard that tell-tale sound of size 9 1/2 feet pitter-ing and patter-ing across the floor above me. Run, run, run, run. Run, run, run, run. Pitter, patter. Pitter, patter. You know the sound.
Last week The Daddy and I experienced our first "out-of-her-room-without-permission" moment. Most likely a Friday morning, my morning to "sleep in" because we have no pressing plans that day of the week. We hear a noise at our door. Bump. Bump. Doorknob turning.
Is that the crazy dog? He's been known to plow head-on into our bedroom door early in the morning when his use of the "facilities" is needed. No, he can't turn a doorknob. He just tries to head-butt the door open. With his head. No, it's AE.
Soooooooooooo, AE has made me put on my grocery list something I never thought we would need until HJ grew dexterous enough to turn the knob: the child door knob safety cover.
Discussing this topic over lunch today with a couple of my mom's club friends, we talked about how you kind of feel guilty using those things. It just feels like I'm going to be locking my kid in a closet. I am actually worried about how she will react when it's introduced.
Uncle C. is in town for work, and he's staying with us. Tonight AN HOUR AFTER BEDTIME, AE came busting down the stairs. She said, "I was scared. I was scared, so I had to come down."
Me: "AE, did you hear your Uncle C. and I talking?"
AE: "Yes. I came down to see Uncle C."
And the way she said it, YA'LL!, with the sweetest, most endearing voice I've heard this week, just about brought a tear to my eye. Just about. So we headed back upstairs, and after several trips back to tell Uncle C. something of complete and utter importance, that little girl thanked me for letting her talk to her Uncle. After the sun went down. While she should have been sleeping. Oh, precious.
I love it when they say thank you. I really do. Made my day. Now tomorrow, I'm headed to the store.
So tell me, will you, what you think about the doorknob covers? Do you use them? Do you ever feel guilty?
