Oh the tangled webs we weave...

...when first we begin to deceive.

Ever tell a little white lie? Just a tiny little story ... so as to distract a child, or to get him or her to do what you want. And then have it come back to bite you in the umm... derrière?

Months ago, several months ago, we began to encourage Emma to go play with a sister or brother by saying... "Oh - but you don't want her to be LONELY, do you?" This worked so well that it slowly evolved to stories like; "Oh, but your Teddy Bear is lonely, he is MISSING you - you really need to go to bed so he won't be LONELY." This worked very well.

But now Emma is lonely, oh so very lonely. She is lonely when it is time to go to bed. She is lonely when she is sent to put her cup back in the kitchen. She is even lonely when she needs to the bathroom.

"Oh, but Mummy - I am wonely. Pease tum wit me. I CAN"T be wonely. I just tan't be all alwone!"

I have tried leaving the bathroom door open so I can keep working.
"But look I can see you. YOU can see ME!"
I have begged and pleaded. I have told her her gaurdian angel is with her. All to no avail.

And then the other day she bounced off my bed in the wee hours of the morning after announcing the call of nature and began cajoling me to join her.
"Tum on Mummy. I just tan't be wonely! Peeease tum with me."

As she reached my bathroom door she turned to demand my presence, and an idea hit me. I whiped my toes out from under the bed covers and wiggled them.
In a falsetto voice they said to Emma, "We can see you from here, you won't be lonely!"
A miracle - it worked. But now my toes have to watch her every morning. But that's okay - it's progress. And it is one less bathroom call that I have to attend personally.