The Lollypop Tower

I can understand how busy Mummy is, I spend my every moment with her.  And besides, there is always that connection.  You know - where she knows how I feel and I know how she feels.

I think sometimes Mummy forgets it is a two way thing, but I really don't mind.  She loves me so much, and plays with me as much as she can.

Sometimes life gets a bit crazy, what with the three of us kiddies, and the farm, and the mortgage, and Daddy being away, and all the other bits and pieces that sneak up on us.  I don't mind, I just love to learn, and I learn heaps and lots, just by watching my Mummy dealing with all this stuff while she smiles, and sings, and dances her way through a day.

My brother is always asking her "Mummy, why do you sing so much?" - I know the answer to that one, it's easy...Mummy has music in her soul.

Most of the time I am so very happy with the way things are, but...

...Something happened the other day and I think Mummy forgot that I am a part of her world too.  I think, for a minute, she got so caught up in all her jobs, and schedule, and to do list, that she just plain forgot I am not a big person at all.


Well, at least she almost forgot!
We were making our way past the checkout of the supermarket, dodging the ones with the full trolleys that are hard to steer, and the grumpy looking people that clearly want you to steer a mile away from them when you are a little person.  When lo and behold I spied the biggest tower I have ever seen.

Not only was it bright, and full of ALL my favourite colours but it was made entirely of lollypops!

I stopped in my tracks at the bottom of the lollypop tower and stared up in awe.

Mummy says she is proud of me for all my growing and stretching, but even on my tippee toes I am only as high as the top of Mummy's legs.  Of course I am only three, and I do know my legs will get longer one day.  For the moment I am stuck down here at ground level, and everything looks so very different down here.  There are plenty of times that Mummy carries me and I get to see from way up there, and that is pretty fun.

Right now I am here.

Way, way down at the bottom of the candy pillar with my feet stuck tight to the floor.

It takes a minute or two, although it feels like a big old timeless world, for Mummy to realise I am not right behind her.  She is trying to steer her wayward trolley into the cold food isle, the last place we go when we are shopping.

I can hear her calling my name in some vague, distant place.  Yet my feet stick tight, and my eyes are stuck too.
WAY up there where the tower never ends.

Suddenly Mummy grabs my arm and sweeps me up into the air.

The tower disappears in a whirl of colour and I feel like the whole world is falling away in a great swirl that is one small moment.

We are a few isles away before I can even speak in my distress.

"Mummmmeeeeeee, lolleeeee-pops!" I squeak in a desperate attempt to explain to her the amazing thing I have just seen.

"The last thing you need right now is lollypops Little Miss, it is almost dinner time." Her tone is a little bit grumpy.

And that's when I feel it, that cranky feeling.  It creeps up my legs and into my belly.  Mummy isn't listening.

You know, it is an amazing thing, that Mother and Daughter connection.

Right at that moment, when the growly feeling is about to make me yell out, my Mummy stops in her tracks.  She looks at me, right in the eye like only she can, and she says "You know little Mini, I think I understand."

The growly noise decides not to come out of my mouth after all.

Mummy pushes the trolley to one side, and I wonder what she will do next.

She puts me down, and holds my hand.

"You show me those Lollypop's sweetheart," she smiles now, "Lead the way."

Proud as punch and feeling as tall as any of the big people I lead Mummy to the tremendous tower of colour at the front of the shop.

She stops and crouches down next to me so her head is the same place as mine.

Together we look WAY up there where the Lollypop Tower has no end.  Then we tun to each other and smile, "That really is a very big Lollypop Tower, isn't it darling?"

I nod, wide-eyed still, and take Mummy's hand.

"Come on Mummy, we don't need to buy these today, it is almost dinner time!" I say as I lead her back to our trolley with a wide and bright grin on my face.