I've got this kid.... crazy chick... love her to pieces... (and now that I've used that phrase yet again I realize how morbid and slightly homicidal it sounds) ANYWAY! Her name is Brigid, though I tend to call her Peanut Butter (which she hates) or Karate Chop.... she's 9 and is one of those innately kind souls who actually thinks of others. She's growing her hair out to donate to Locks of Love for the second time. I could go on all day!
She also seems to be innately poky. As in S-L-O-W to do things.... she has been known to take almost 2 hours to take a shower.... 30 minutes to put pajamas on and brush her teeth? She comes by it honestly at least... both me and her big brother tend to be poky in the bathroom. I'm shaving my legs, slathering masques on my face and deep conditioning my hair..... I REALLY don't want to know what the 19 year old is doing. Nope.
Brigid, however, takes endless joy in making faces at herself in the mirror, plopping down on her butt in the shower and gazing up at the water as it rains down on her. There are also conversations with the invisible TV and movie characters that seems to move in and out of our house on a regular basis, plus the need to pose with various 'props'. GREAT imagination... S-L-O-W!
I have to get her up at about 7AM to get ready for school- though she doesn't leave until 8:30 for the bus arrival anywhere from @8:35-8:50. That's an hour and a half to toss clothes on, make her bed, eat something, throw a snack in her bag, get the cats food and water, brush her teeth, wash her face and brush her hair. When she's on top of things, I've seen her accomplish ALL of this in about a half an hour. The morning 'ritual' seems to be, Mom wakes Brigid and crawls back into her warm bed. Brigid gets up and invades the bathroom... when done goes down to eat breakfast just in time for big brother to come upstairs and rush into the bathroom and Mom to hit snooze until she can actually get into the bathroom and ready for the day. Just before 8 the bathroom is free and I'm struggling to wake up- Brigid crawls into bed with me and chats for a couple minutes while I blink myself awake and convince myself I cannot crawl back under the covers again.
Of late, I've noticed that at this point Brigid seems to be ready for the day- GASP! Mostly at least... cats might still need tending, but for the most part she's good to go.
What is going on?
The other morning, don't ask me which as I wasn't awake yet, she had crawled into bed with me and I have no idea how it came up, but I mentioned that if she wanted, she could try taking showers in the morning sometimes provided she doesn't putz around and gets in and out before Luke comes up to take his shower. Side benefit- cool braids or hair dos for school usually only done on the weekend or in the evenings after a shower. Her eyes gleam in anticipation. Of all the things to get excited about- she's excited about the prospect of taking a shower in the morning rather than at night.
This morning my sleeping brain registers the shower and bathroom fan being turned on and sleepily remember Luke is driving to Des Moines and back for work today.... roll over to look at my alarm clock. Due to go off in 2 minutes. Ugh. I go in to wake and tell Brigid she'll have to eat first as Luke is leaving early for work. Now, it was dark and I was sleep befuzzled, but I had to pat down her freshly made bed several times before it gets through my fogged brain that she's wasn't in bed. Lights were off, room neat, bed made... downstairs lights on.... Luke is downstairs on his computer eating breakfast.
She was so excited about taking a shower in the morning that she woke up, made her bed and got in the shower BEFORE the alarm went off. She was done and ready for the day in record time AND it included taking a shower! Who IS this child? Not going to say a word to her though... might jinx it!
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