If you have a 3-year old daughter, as a father you know this…she owns you. There’s nothing you can do about it. Unlike with my son, Ava has complete control. If Christopher wants a snack and starts to whine, I snap at him and tell him he’s not getting one unless he asks nicely. If Ava wants a snack and she whines, I “discuss” it with her and then get up off the couch, walk into the kitchen and get it for her. This way I get a smile and a kiss on the cheek. It’s all very Pavlovian. And I’m a sucker for it.
So my daughter’s latest obsession is my toenails. Not that she hasn’t done this before, but now she wants to paint my toenails every day. She asks me at least 3 or 4 times a day, “Can I paint your nails, daddy?” Well…I figure it’s not that big a deal. I wear shoes to work. No one besides myself is really gonna see my toes, so I let her do it. And the funny thing is…it’s kind of relaxing!
She sits me in the chair, and she goes and gets the step-up stool and she sets out to do her job. It’s all very professionally done. She goes through each nail, painting with broad strokes until her masterpiece is complete. Usually her work takes about 5 minutes and when she is finished, she actually blows on them to dry them! It’s all done while I sit and read the paper or a magazine, drinking my morning coffee, really just getting my head on straight for another day.
Needless to say, I am starting to enjoy the pampering! I don’t know what I’m gonna do once sandal season kicks in though. I can’t be walking around with blue and maroon blotches all over my feet. Someone will think I dropped a refrigerator on my toes. So I will have to deal with that when the time comes. But for now, I’m gonna enjoy this little bit of fun that my daughter has painting my toenails. It’s the least I can do! Because, as we all know, this won’t last forever. Before long, she won’t want to paint my nails…she’ll want to head out to the mall and have her own nails painted. And that’s when it all comes full circle…and I break out my wallet and get a kiss on the cheek.
A Round World Through Square Glasses 