"Take me a bath, bug mouth"

For the rest of my life I think I will remember when I heard these words uttered from Ella Joy's mouth as she walked up and down our stairs wearing only her pink Mary Jane crocs.

The story begins 2 days before with me sick on the sofa with flu like symptoms. I had a perfect plan. Julia was in bed. And I thought surely Ella Joy will lay quietly and watch a movie so I can get at least an hour of rest. However Ella Joy was so concerned with my being sick she kept laying baby wipes on my forehead and telling me how sorry she felt for me.

"Why you sick mommy?" gently wiping my forehead with a baby wipe
"Because I caught a bug. Ella Joy you need to stay away from my mouth because I don't want you to get sick too."
"Mommy, I sorry you so sick."

Fast forward 2 days. Post dinner. Ella Joy wants to take a bath.

"Take me a bath, mommy."
"Ella Joy, I am feeding Julia then I will Give you a bath."

Ella Joy goes upstairs, takes everything off but her crocs, and begins to chant,
"Take me a bath, take me a bath, take me a bath."
She is playing on the steps while she sings.
Distracted. Good. I finish nursing Julia. Walk to the kitchen to finish cleaning up dinner.

"Take me a bath, mommy!" This time with a little more volume and desperation.
"Okay Ella Joy I just have to finish cleaning the kitchen."

Her chant continues.
A few minutes pass. She continues to chant walking up and down the stairs. Then as if she can't believe the lady in the kitchen has ignored her for this long she adds a new line to the end of her chant,
"Take me a bath, bug mouth."

I look to see if she is saying this to me. She is not. She is in her own little world and has labeled the woman she once called mommy, bug mouth. In her face I can see she likes the new name.

I turned to David and we laugh so she can't see.

Bug mouth finally gives her daughter a bath.