Business Trip

I had to go out of town for 3 days this week on business. The night before I left, I told Fiona that I would be gone for 3 days (we counted them together), but that I would think of her all the time.

Fiona said "I want to go on the business trip."

"I don't think so, honey," I replied. "You'd be very bored."

"I want to be bored," she replied.

Before I left, Fiona made me promise I'd bring her back a present. I said I would. She said it should have mermaids in it.

While I was gone, Andrea informed me that the present I was bringing back (according to Fiona) had transformed into a book about a mermaid and a bear who have a very convoluted adventure together (I need to do a post soon about how Fiona has started making up her own stories). Andrea told me she couldn't wait to read it herself.

I found a Little Mermaid coloring book and a book about a bear whose father can't find him after the father puts the little bear on his shoulders. Since I play that game with Fiona all the time, it seemed like a good pickup.

A little bleary-eyed after a red eye, I staggered home this morning at 5:30 a.m. and grabbed about 90 minutes of sleep before Fiona arrived in our room. After lots of hugs and cuddling, I gave her the coloring book (I'm holding off on the bear book for bedtime). Fiona loved it, and we read it together several times.

A little later this morning, Fiona announced that now she was going on a business trip and that she'd be back soon, and that I couldn't follow her. Thirty seconds later she came running back to the kitchen carrying a pillow from the couch.

"I got you a present! It's a new pillow!"

Imitation is everything for Fiona.