Ego Boosters

Piles of laundry were everywhere, covering almost all of the available space on the couch. Except, of course, for the spot where I had been sitting.

I'd left the laundry all over while I went up to put Sean down for a nap. When I came back down, Meagan was standing there holding a DVD case, asking me to put it on for her. Since I hadn't been watching anything, and it was a movie I liked, I decided to turn it on while I finished the laundry. I was standing at the TV, getting the movie ready, when I saw Meagan head for my spot on the couch. I told her, "Meagan, that's my space, so I can fold laundry. You can share it with me if you want, but I need to sit there to finish."

She sat there for a minute, while I turned around to finish starting the DVD. After a minute, I heard her plead, "Mom, can I sit on the floor? Your bum is big."

The words were bad enough on their own, but the accompanying tone made them worse. It was the same tone of voice she used when asking if she could get up from a time out, like sitting on the couch with me was something to be avoided at all costs.

Oh, but that wasn't all. A few minutes later, Bethany came wandering in. She watched me hold up a pair of jeans to flatten out and fold. Then she chipped in, "Mommy, your pants are big! They're bigger than Daddy's!"

Maybe I just shouldn't fold laundry around my children anymore.