Spiders and Strawberries

This morning, PC got up early and ate breakfast before Dolly was even awake. When she did get up, I asked Dolly what she wanted, fixed the desired Cinnamon Toast and then retreated to my room to say good morning to Sir. PC, followed me with a book and since Sir was still waking up, I obliged my son and started reading the book to him. "The itsy bitsy spider... climbed up the waterspout..."

Meanwhile, out in the dining room, Dolly finished her toast and after not getting as satisfying a response to her calls as she expected from me, she hopped out of her booster and joined the rest of us in my room. I paused from reading the book to ask Dolly if she was done with her breakfast, if she wanted more, or if she wanted something else.

She replied, "I want some strawberries!" "Ok," I answered half absentmindedly, "Get into your chair and I'll get you some spiders." Dolly had already stared to run back to her chair, and as Sir rolled over to laugh at me and I realized what I had just said, I started to laugh at myself glad that Dolly had apparently overlooked my slip of the tongue. But no, I'd hardly caught my breath when my frantic and very distressed daughter came fleeing back to my room nearly in tears to declare, "I don't want sphiders!"

I laughed even harder, and poor Dolly was getting very distraught and confused. When I finally calmed down enough to talk normally, I assured her that I would get her some strawberries NOT spiders as soon as she got back into her chair. She ran off, and I followed leaving PC to wonder why he only got half a book read to him. He soon realized what was going on out in the dining room and joined us there for his share.

As Dolly looked her first strawberry over very carefully, she said to me, "There's no sphiders, Mommy." She appeared very relieved, and I agreed with her that there were indeed, no spiders with her strawberries.

THE END