Day 4: Towels and Dog Hair

Daughter is doing pretty good. She wore a very trendy jean and and pink Viking-jersey combo. I did ask her to try again with her elastic headband (that doesn't count as nagging, if you ask once in a really nice voice).

The Daughter Dare Moment occurred within the context of laundry. Daughter had clothes in the washer that needed to be put in the dryer. I had towels in the dryer. I asked daughter to go to the basement and change her clothes over. When she came back upstairs, I asked her where the towels were and she replied downstairs. I asked her, where downstairs and she said the dryer.

I realized I was wasting time and patience so we went downstairs together to investigate.

She, like a pro, had placed them in an empty basket. I then asked her to take them upstairs and fold them while I proceeded to get ready for the day. As I was finishing up in the bathroom, I had this image of daughter folding the clean towels on the carpet... its been a week since the last vacuuming... nothing like getting out of the shower, wrapping yourself in a "clean" towel only to find yourself plastered with a million, inch-long black hairs...

I rush out of the bathroom to tell daughter to fold the towels on the bed or couch or table... but there lie the towels, folded (not perfectly, but folded) in the basket. I swallow the question of where she folded them, I deny the desire to shake out the towels and redo them, and continue with my day. And I laugh - seriously, was I about to have a minor crises over the fact someone in the house immediately folded a load of laundry upon mother request?

I'm not gonna lie, it does take some concerted effort to not be an OCD freak parent. But so far, I'm really happy with the results. Not only has daughter been slightly more playful with me this week, but I find our conversations are improving in quality as well. Yesterday she teased me because she heard me burp (I didn't think it was that loud) and said Nice Burp. She has never done that before! I like it.