An Arm and A What?

Today was a long day. We got home from the "day" at 8pm. That was just the beginning of a long night for me. Straight away Owen had a dirty diaper to change. Emeline was hungry (when isn't she?). To tell the truth I was starving as well. There were ads to finish for work. And to top it all off, I've been sick and have gotten quite the ab workout today from coughing so much. I was not in a good mood.

Emeline is oblivious to all of these factors. She's almost five so this is quite appropriate. But as I knelt next to Owen's crib changing the aforementioned dirty diaper and Emeline kicked me in the face as she scaled the crib wall, my rope ran out. Instead of yelling at her, I calmly explained that she need to be calm and quiet because I didn't feel well and I had lots to do. She needed to eat her snack and be good. And unlike I usually do, tonight I couldn't wait on her hand and foot.

Emeline is not easily deterred. She quickly fired back, "You don't have to wait on me hand and foot, Mom. What about elbow and arm? Leg and toe? Neck and bellybutton?"

Come on! How am I supposed to pull of the stern mom act with this kind of heckling?