Mad Scientist

Claire's favorite Christmas gift may well be the very cool microscope set that she received from her Nana and Papa. After she and Papa spent much of Christmas morning assembling it and examining various slides, Claire announced that she was planning to study DNA. We, of course, expressed appropriate enthusiasm for this idea. Claire followed up by clarifying that, in particular, she was planning to compare Margot's DNA to cat DNA. We asked her why she'd be doing that. Her answer? "Because it will establish that Margot is a cat."

Organic Milk

Yesterday I was listening to NPR as I got ready for work, and Margot came into the bathroom. The story on the radio was about organic milk, and the farmer being interviewed was explaining how his cows had acres of property to wander over, and various types of grass to munch on. Then a scientist spoke about some anecdotal evidence that omega-3 fatty acids from this sort of healthy, grass-based diet could actually be passed into the milk of these cows. Margot listened to this for a few minutes, looked at me thoughtfully, and then said, "Mommy? Remember when Jane was a baby? And you used to milk her?"

Mommy Guilt

I flew down to Washington, DC on Monday and worked out of my firm's DC office on Monday and Tuesday. Before I left, I talked to the girls about where I was going and how long I would be away. The big girls were primarily interested in whether I would be bringing them any presents when I came back. Jane was mainly concerned with whether I would be on a big airplane or a small airplane. When she was confident that I was, in fact, traveling via a BIG airplane, she didn't have much else to say about my trip.

Until tonight. Here is the phone conversation that we just had:

Me: "Hi Jane, it's Mommy!"
Jane: (muffled sobbing)
Me (cheerfully): "Jane, hi! It's Mommy!"
Jane (sobbing): "I want Mommy."
Me: "Jane, this IS Mommy! I'm calling you from Washington, DC."
Jane (wailing): "I want my other Mommy!!"
Lindsay (in background): "Janie, that IS Mommy. She's calling you on the phone!"
Me: "Jane, honey, this IS Mommy. I'm getting on the airplane soon and I am coming home tonight to see you."
Jane (howling): "Where is my Mommy?"
Me: "Janie, I will be home tonight to check on you once you are in bed, ok?"
Jane: "I WANT MY OTHER MOMMY!! I WANT MY REAL MOMMY!" (Repeat seven or eight times.)

Oh, the unparalleled joys of working motherhood . . .