The Rainbow House

My three year old grandaughter says to me today: "Nanny, when I get bigger...after Christmas. I'll get you a rainbow house."

She is a born caregiver.No one had to teach her. It's just who she is. No matter what you say to her, if it has an edge of concern, she offers a fix.

Today we spent the day together. We gathered up all my nail polish and painted our nails, each one a different colour. We had "orange tea" out of the little china tea set as we chatted about life. We watched a movie starring Jasmine one of the Disney's princesses. She insisted on a bath. For some reason she loves to have a bath at Nanny's house. I added mineral salts and lots of bubbles. She gathered armloads of bubbles and told me they were flowers.

Then we drove to the park, but not before she watered the almost dead flowers outside. At the playground she chatted with new friends and gathered gravel in Tim Horton cups and played store . All was lovely, until...... it was time to go home. She threw a hissy fit and laid flat out on the floor of the car refusing to get in the car seat. no amount of cajouling or coaxing would move her. She shed a few crocodile tears and was working her way into a frenzy. I asked what she wanted. "I want my Mommy!" she wailed. I calmy explained we couldn't start the car till she was in her car seat.That made no difference , she continued to lie across the floor and wail. I said in a non threatening way , that unless she got in her car seat,we would have to stay where we were. it could be all night.That Mom would be worried, that Lucky (my dog ) was getting anxious .

Then I reminded her there were lots of Halloween treats at her house. With that she climbed into her seat and off we went. I could see in the rear view mirror, her little head bobbing as she whimpered all the way home to the rainbow house.