Aaah, to be the favorite

So those memories about thinking Linus didn't like me when he was new have been on my mind lately because I am currently the Favored Parent. It's a pretty sweet gig, I tell you. Any parent out there will know all about how sometimes you're the cat's pajamas, and other times you're completely repugnant to your toddler. I think moms generally have a bit of a leg up, especially nursing moms, but we all end up doing time on the Losers List. There doesn't seem to be any sort of pattern in when or why positions shift, they just do.

I mentioned before that Linus sleeps with us. He also goes to bed whenever we do. I think we ended up with this arrangement because, as I've mentioned before, I'm lazy and this is easy. We all get ready for bed, climb in, lights out, everybody falls asleep. Some parents like to put their kids to bed early, but that usually means that the kids wake up at some ungodly hour and that would annoy the hell out of me. I'd much rather have a couple of quiet, kid-free hours in the morning than in the evening. Linus usually sleeps until 9:30 or 10. Weekdays I get up around 6:30 and head off to work before even Orion is up. I work a 4, 10-hour day schedule, so I get my extra hours in before Linus is even aware that I'm not there, and since he stays up late with us in the evening I get lots of time with him. On the weekends, I'm usually up by 7:30-8 and that gives me plenty of time for a jam-hands-free cup of coffee and a newspaper, or whatever. I'm not so perky in the morning. It takes me awhile to become fully interactive.

Linus is a funny little guy. Sometimes he'll wake up in the morning and just walk out into the living room, but usually he wakes up, sits up in bed and yells, "Ma?!" I'll get up and go into the bedroom to get him, but usually not before a couple more "Ma?!"s. I'll open the door to the bedroom and he'll be sitting on the bed with a worried look on his face. I'll smile and say, "Good morning!", and he'll stretch his arms up to me. I'll pick him up and he'll relax against my shoulder. I'll carry him out to the living room and he'll stay in that position until he wakes up enough to ask for the booby, or, "B" as he calls it. He'll nurse for awhile and then climb down off my lap and head off to look for a ball, or a rock, or the cat. I really like this weekend morning ritual. I can completely relate to the desire to be carried around in a sleepy haze until breakfast sounds good.

Apparently, during my work week when I'm not around when he wakes up, Linus will still call out, "Ma?!" Orion will go into the bedroom to get him, and when Linus sees who it is, he'll throw himself prostrate onto the bed crying, "No! No! No! No!" Orion will pick him up and he'll cry, "No, Da-ee!" He'll settle down pretty quickly, but still... Fortunately Orion thinks it's pretty funny, instead of upsetting, which is how I'd feel.

I usually get the better deal, which is totally how it should be, but not always. Sometimes I'll load Linus into the car and get in, ready to drive off, when he'll ask, "Da-ee?" The baby-sign for Daddy that we tried to teach him is hand open, palm out, with your thumb against your forehead (it should be thumb against your jaw for Mommy), but Linus translated this to pointing with his index finger into his ear (he pats his chest for me). So he'll point in his ear and ask, "Da-ee?" and when I say, "Daddy's not coming to the store with us, honey." boo-hooery ensues, with wails of, "My Da-ee!" over and over.

Really, I think he'd like to have both of us within arms reach at all times. Orion and I were sitting next to each other on the couch the other night, which is unusual as Or usually sits in the easy chair. Linus was beside himself with joy. He squished in between us, cupping our cheeks with one little hand each, and recited, "Ma. Da-ee. Ma. Da-ee." in a dreamy voice. You'd think he'd never seen us in the same room before. Kook.