"Pwease?!"

Just yesterday I noted that spring has definitely arrived here. Not just for a day or two, but for what we hope is the entire season. The sidewalks are constantly busy with dogwalkers, families pushing strollers or pulling wagons, and kids running from house to house or riding their bikes as they avoid the cars going past in the street. YES! Spring is here. And with it comes a new era in family life for us.

Laura wants to go 'outide' as often as possible. The other day I caught her trying to con Jonathan in to taking her out with him by clasping her hands together against her chest, cocking her head to the side and opening her eyes really wide before saying "Pwease?!" with such a precious, pleading look that I was sure Jonathan wouldn't be able to deny her this small request. But alas, Jonathan failed to succumb and she was stuck behind the screen door as he went blithely on his way. Even after saying pwease over and over again, and frankly, hollering it at his back as he escaped. But Daddy couldn't deny it and soon he was putting on his sandals to take her out.

And so the tradition has been set.

Laura will confront anyone who appears to be headed in any way, shape or form, for the great outdoors. She will casually mention that she needs her socks on and one of us, thinking her feet are cold, will comply. If we don't, she's upstairs anyway, putting on her own socks, albeit upside down or sideways, so she can then move on to Phase Two. In this phase she'll walk around looking for the nearest pair of shoes that she'll once again attempt to put on herself. When she gets only so far, the pleading with the nearest bigger person ensues. In short order she is often shoe clad, ready for Phase Three.

Phase Three can take on a much more desperate tone depending on the cooperation of those around her at the moment. She moves from the cute, batting her eyes, hands clasped just under her tilted chin pleas of "Pwease?!" over and over again to stomping her feet and stating in no uncertain terms that "I wanna dough outide" in short order. When this doesn't work, she'll return to her pleading ways, hitting up each person as they come in the door, or dare to step anywhere near the door. If this fails to get her to her goal of the great outdoors, she'll move to Phase Four.

Phase Four involves driving her parents crazy by slipping ever so quietly out whatever door she can find that is not locked. Yes, our precious little three year old has figured out that she can do this on her own. Even when told she can't. Indeed her quiet, sly, swift movement from inside to out can happen so fast that we are often oblivious to it until we see her head bopping away from the screen door at a fast rate. *sigh* Soon I'm sure locks won't even work.

Once we've retrieved the plundering preschooler who eventually realizes she really isn't going to get outside at the moment, she'll start in on what we now have come to realize is Phase Five of her efforts. She'll sulk for a few moments, whining, trying to garner sympathy from those left indoors to do necessary chores. When she realizes this isn't working, the child goes quiet for a moment and then it is as if she is transformed. Running up to me she'll tug on my shorts, yelling "Mom! Mom! I dough what we can do!!!" Hiding your smile and wondering just how you are going to get out of this most marvelous suggestion, I turn to her innocently and say "What? What can we do?" She'll once again clasp her hands together under her chin, tilt her little head, open her eyes wide, smile so big it transforms her whole face and say "We can go to the PARK!"

Indeed, in very short order, everyone in the family is piling in to the car, water bottles in hand, off for another adventure with everyone else who's preschooler came up with the very same, wonderful idea. We're off to the park.

Yes, Spring is here. Pwease can we dough to the Park? :)