little mama

Tonight Mae decided that she needed to tuck her baby doll into the doll's crib. We have a cradle-shaped basket, with a pillow Ted sewed in Pre-K and Mae's "cuddle quilt," that is the doll's bed. First, she flapped the little blanket (like I do), then put the baby down diagonally in the center, then wrapped her up (burrito-style) and then held her against her chest and rocked her. "Baby crying," she said. I sat down on the floor, overtaken at this. We do this so often...Mae will flip out and I won't be able to calm her down. So I get her 'soft blankie,' flap it out onto the floor, lie her in it and wrap her up like a burrito. Then we sit and rock in the rocker until she calms down. To see her do this to her baby, and to do it with tenderness (rather than the exasperation I usually feel) was so touching. "Does Baby feel better?" I asked and she nodded and put her gently into the basket crib. Then she had to flap the blanket quite a bit before she was satisfied. SO SWEET. After a frustrating day with her, this was a great way to end the night.