On days like today, when Neko suddenly melts into a well of tears and irrational protests which leaves her completey incapable of having a normal conversation, I need to remember that she's only been in this world for 3.5 years. In that time she learned to walk and talk and think and laugh and joke and dream and, meanwhile, I've been meaning to learn to use my bread machine for nearly three years, and it's still sitting in a box in the cabinet.
Some days I need to just chuck all the rules about proper pre-school negotiating tactics, scoop her up in my arms and rock her to sleep because it's been a hard day and it's a big world and she's really just so very new to it all.