My daughter Natalie is a 4-year-old genius. (Doesn’t she look great in my glasses?) She’s like a grown-up, intelligent woman in a little tiny body . . . assuming that the grown-up, intelligent woman pees her pants a lot and screams like she’s being axe-murdered when her socks “feel funny.” Anyway. I was looking through some old abandoned drafts and I found this comment that Natalie made to me one morning. It wasn’t just any morning. It was one of those mornings where you’ve decided to give up before the sun even rises. I think I actually crawled back into bed and told her that I’d decided to stay in bed all day and hide. She bellowed with great sincerity: “Nooooo. We love you. We want you to get up every day.” I have to admit, it made me feel better, and I (mostly) recovered and survived the day.
This past Sunday, I arrived at church in a tizzy because I don’t care if we had church at 6:45 p.m., we would still be scrambling to get out the door on time. It’s pathetic. And in this case, I was pretty convinced that our family was hopeless, and that I was destined to be the lone, unappreciated crusader to get my family out the door and to church on time without missing any major articles of clothing. I was annoyed. During sacrament meeting, the hymns and prayers and sacrament began to cool me down (as they are designed to do), and at some point Natalie leaned over and whispered to Matt, “Daddies don’t have diamonds in their rings because they don’t make dinner.”
I love that girl.
That’s all. Carry on.
Shantel
March 8, 2011 at 1:00 pm
She IS a genious! And adorable too!
Annie~Savor This Moment
March 8, 2011 at 1:08 pm
You might need to frame that statement and hang it in the kitchen. Just a little reminder on those rough days.
Jocelyn
March 8, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Atta girl! Hey aren’t you supposed to be writing a book!
Julie
March 8, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Love it. She is too cute!
LisAway
March 8, 2011 at 3:24 pm
She has such a cute smile and a cute little woman’s mind.
And Aaron freaks out about his socks all the time, too. Why do socks have to have a seam across the toe, I ask you. My life would be 75% easier if they didn’t.
ambrwaves
March 8, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Oh man, can I just say a gigantic AMEN to that! Thank you, Natalie. And Stephanie, too.
corine
March 8, 2011 at 4:41 pm
It’s nice to know we aren’t the only family struggling to have clothes to wear on Sunday morning. :O sort of… I mean, I’m sorry you go through it, too… but glad to know we aren’t the only ones. ;O One of my 16 year old boys lost his pants while out of town, and is stuck with jeans right now. Yikes!
Carrie
March 8, 2011 at 8:25 pm
You have taught her well. You are as good a mother as I always knew you were! (That makes it sound like we are old friends…I mean as long as I have read your blog!) Is your book going to be about mothering? Did you already mention what you were writing about and I just missed it or is it a secret?
Wendy
March 8, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Thanks for the humor. Diamonds are wonderful in rings, earrings and necklaces. The best diamonds are the children you have. They sparkle brightly at times…
Melody
March 9, 2011 at 9:57 am
That is precious. I love writing down and rereading the sweet/funny things my kids say. The other night over dinner my almost 4 year-old announced, “I don’t want a new mommy, I just want you.” I was flattered.
Heather
March 9, 2011 at 9:57 am
LOVE the way that girl thinks. LOL
Lesa
March 9, 2011 at 10:01 am
I love the picture of the two of you. She is a cute girl and has a very smart Mom!
Erin
March 9, 2011 at 10:04 am
Natalie sure is a little sweetheart!
Lacy
March 9, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Natalie, you are the BEST!
She’s got it all figured out…
Mormon Soprano
March 10, 2011 at 11:50 am
Priceless! I’m glad you are writing down all of these gems. I wish I had written down more of my children’s “true wisdom” before they became teenagers
Roxanne
March 13, 2011 at 7:12 pm
I so feel for you on the sock thing. Not fun. Oh, and I’m so glad my husband has diamonds in his ring! We would starve if he didn’t. Such a cute girl you have there.