I played mom this weekend. My friend Belinda has an almost 3 year old, Jas, and she needed a sitter for Sunday but since I was going out of town on Saturday, I told B I would just take Jas with me. At 3 pm sharp I was loaded into the Xterra with a kid in the back. She was a little upset leaving her mom but she was cool a few miles down the road. She's at the age where you really can't hold a conversation with her other than, 'you need to go potty?' or 'do you want some juice?' but she likes to sing and that makes me laugh. For the first half of the trip, it was cool. I could see myself doing this, toating a kid around, driving down the road, singing weird kid songs together. We get to my parents house and she immediately begins playing with my niece Brianna. They are running around acting like looney tunes and screaming and such. All of this noise is giving me a bit of a headache. The fam (which consisted of me, mom, dad, sister Sara, Brianna and Jonathan) decide that a nice meal at the Hamburger Barn is in order. Here comes the fun part: packing up the kids. Jas needs her passy and her weird punk naked Barbie and her juice and I have to move her car seat in the 107 degree temperature from my truck to my sister's mini van. This is not an easy task but all is well. Jonathan decides that he will drive because no cigerattes can be had in the car with a child. Jonathan and I talk about life and us and marriage and kids the whole way down. By this time, I can't wait to get Jas out of my sister's van and play mom again. After Jonathan telling Jas that he refuses to carry her if she brings naked punk Barbie in, she settles on an off colored baby of Brianna's to tote along. Entering the restaurant, I am greeted by the hostess, I'm asked if I would like a booster or a highchair. Hell if I know, a booster? Sara agrees and off we go. I sit Jas in this contraption and she flips open the menu like she's been here 100 times and knows exactly what she wants.
Me: 'Jas, are you hungry?'
Jas: Crazy head nod in the motion of yes
Me: 'Do you want chicken strips?'
Jas: head nod again
Me: 'Do you want a hotdog?'
Jas: head nod again
Me: 'Um, hotdog or chicken?'
Jas: 'Hotdog'.
We have a winner folks. I see that they only have hotdog nuggets on the menu and I figure it's bad enough that against my better judgement I'm allowing this child to eat weird meat bits but to subject her to 'nuggets' is a little off.
While all of this deciding for Jas is going on (thank God this fat kid knew what she wanted already), Jonathan has eyed an appetizer and a 14 oz steak. I agree that he can have both because momma got a nice paycheck from the makeup counter and we continue our meal and it is yum. The bill comes and it's $44.00. To me, that's a lot. And we want 2 kids, we are looking at $50 every time we go to dinner. Wow. After paying, Jonathan grabs Jas and carries her to the car and later tells me that he loved carring her around because she's cute and he's sure that people though she was his. I smile. Yup, this is the future father of my children being all cutelike. Anywho, I brought no crackers so we are done with that cheese. : )
My best friend Lesly calls me on the way into town and says that she wants to take me and Jonathan out for a drink. I tell her that we are playing parents and that is cool if we don't stay out too late. She agrees and off we go again. I get outside and Jonathan has put her car seat in the back of his jeep and it is quite possibly the cutest thing ever. We are heading to the restaurant to meet Lesly and Jonathan does a u turn to McD's to get Jas some icecream because he asked her if she wanted some and of course she says yes. Mind you, it's going on 9:30 and I good and well know that this icecream is going to make her a circus clown but I don't argue. He cares her into the restaurant and she winds up falling asleep in my lap. It's cute.
The next morning Jas is up at 6:30. I am liking the fact that she really can't go anywhere because (a) she's in the pack and play crib thingie and (b) the door is shut and would be hard for her to open. My sister is not so kind. She picks Jas up and allows her to be her usual self. I go back to sleep. Sara then wakes me and tells me that I have to 'get up and watch the kids' because she needs a shower. I walk into the kitchen and Jas and Brianna are eating breakfast. I then realize that this mom stuff, not so fun when it comes to getting up before the sun and having to make wee breakfasts and them being loud. I dress Jas and off she goes with my parents for Sunday School. Jonathan is still asleep and I make his breakfast and go wake him.
Jon: 'Oh you're up babe?'
Me: 'um yeah, been up since 6:30!!!'
Jon: 'Why?'
Me: 'that's what kids do'
Jonathan has already asked where Jas is and is kinda sad that she's not with us. He says he may not be able to wait 3 years for kids. My heart jumps a bit. That's scary. No sleep, always having to be careful and not stay out and no sleep and taking care of the little one and no sleep. Wow, is this cool?
After church, Jonathan takes my hand and we preceed to the nursery to pick up Jas. Shes playing with the other kids and she doesn't see us walk up to the door. I say her name, her head pops up from the coloring sheet and her eyes light up. She runs towards us with all her might and leaps into my arms. Jonathan says 'come here Jas', she immediately goes to him and I realize, yup, I do want this. And I didn't even care when I'm handed a Wal-Mart bag housed with pee filled Strawberry Shortcake panties.