Knock-Knock

It's been quite a while since I've mentioned nursing on this blog. Yes, Spice, who will be 3 in July, is still nursing. I'm not as freaked out as I was when Sugar was still nursing at this age, but I am getting to that place where I will be more than ready whenever she decides to stop. And, likely, I will get to a point, sometime in the next 6 months, when I will insist that she stop, whether she's ready or not.

But, for now, I enjoy the uniqueness of nursing a young child. My favorite story about nursing Sugar as a toddler is that one day when she was about 19 or 20 months, we were in Central Park blowing bubbles when the wind blew some of the bubbles into her eyes. They immediately stung and she started screaming. At the time I had convinced her that nursing was only for when we were home - not outside. But I didn't hesitate to sit down on the grass and nurse her while the Bull ran to get water to rinse the soap from her eyes. She calmed down, the Bull came back with the water and our day went on.

About 2 weeks later were back in the same part of the park to fly a kite. We did not bring the bubbles with us this time. The Bull was running across the field trying to get the kite in the air while Sugar and I watched. Suddenly, Sugar began looking around, and I could see that something clicked with her. She looked up at me then her hands flew up to her eye and she screamed, "My eye! My eye! I got bubbles in my eye! I need milk!" I almost fell down I was laughing so hard. My little nursling was trying to con me into nursing her in the park!

So, I've been waiting for that one funny nursing story that I would always remember about Spice to occur, and 2 days ago it finally did. And fitting with Spice's personality, it's a little different. Sugar, Spice and I were driving home from Sugar's chorus practice and Spice started asking Sugar to do Knock-Knock jokes with her. They both love Knock-Knock jokes and these days their favorite is the Interrupting Cow one:

Knock-Knock
Who's there?
Interrupting Cow
Interrupting Cow wh...
MOO! (Said before the person can finish saying "who")

They have created variations of this with Interrupting Horse- "Neigh," Interrupting Do - "Bark," Interrupting Duck - "Quack," etc. There's even an Interrupting Sugar - "HEY!" and an Interrupting Spice - "Mommy."

So after a round of interrupting Knock-Knocks, Spice comes up with something completely new:

Spice: Knock-knock

Sugar: Who's there?

Spice: Milk

Sugar: Milk who?

Spice: No, you can't have any milk right now.

I burst out laughing!! I didn't know whether to feel bad that I've been putting her off too much when she asks for milk, or to think of all the people who would say, "If she's old enough to make jokes about it, she's too old to be nursing."

That night at bedtime, as I was getting ready to lie down and nurse her, I got treated to yet another milk Knock-Knock:

Spice: Knock-Knock

Me: Who's there?

Spice: Milk

Me: Milk who?

Spice: I'm ready to drink milk now.

And in the morning, when she was sitting on the potty I got...

Spice: Knock-Knock

Me: Who's there?

Spice: Milk

Me: Milk who?

Spice: You can always drink milk in a bottle.*

We got treated to one more this morning - "You can drink milk or water." I don't know how many more are up her sleeve. I think this could go on, even after she's stopped nursing.

*I forgot to mention that this joke is particularly funny since Spice NEVER drank milk from a bottle. She completely rejected bottles as an infant and would occasionally go as long as 8 hours without any nourishment rather than take a bottle.