The Prodigal Duck Returns

We headed out to the flea market this morning, intent on it being a trip free of $50 broken mugs. I'll spare you the suspense: success! No new broken mugs! Actually, I taught LB that if she wants to look at anything, she has to hold her hands behind her back. This worked surprisingly well.

And we all came home with new things. DB bought some boring books that I know he's never going to read. (Really? Oscar Wilde?) I bought a cream colored cashmere cardigan for $11, which I am over the moon about. (I've decided I want to start wearing cardigans. I'm not sure if I'm a cardigan type of girl, but I really want to be. Perhaps I've been watching too much Mad Men.)

And DB gave LB $5 to spend completely at her discretion, and she bought...

A stormtrooper. A single stormtrooper. For $4. She hasn't even watched Star Wars. It's like 4 inches tall, and it's in awful condition. It doesn't have a gun, and all the black parts on its hands and crotch are rubbed off. And LB was so cute- DB had her ask the lady herself for the price, "How much is this cost?" And when the lady replied, "$4," you should have seen my jaw drop open behind LB. LB happily paid the lady for her stormtrooper, but I stood behind her the whole time glaring and grumbling over this total rip off. $4. DB thinks it's good to teach her how to buy things. I think it would have been better to teach her how to get a good deal.

In other news, it's been 2 or 3 months since LB decided she doesn't need Normal Duck in her daily life. Some people may say this is a sign of her growing maturity. Well, I decided I'm not ready for it. Screw you all. Call me coddling, but I'm not ready for her to abandon duck. So in the last few days, I've made a concerted effort to quash her new found independence. I've casually asked her why Normal Duck has to stay in bed, and nonchalantly dropped broad hints about how Normal Duck would like to get some fresh air outside. Each time, LB replied, "Normal Duck is a stinky, dirty duck!" But she says this with a big smile. The truth is that DB and she regularly joke around about how Normal Duck is so dirty and ugly now. In fact, strangers on the street will comment on his sad state. I started to suspect that she was ashamed of his dirtiness.

I decided to test this theory. I started telling her, "Normal Duck is so clean and beautiful today! He looks great! I'm so glad he's not stinky and dirty anymore." And several days later, my evil plan is working! Today Normal Duck came with us to the flea market, after months of being banished to the bed. And OH MY GOD, as I'm typing this, she is asking for "Normal Stinky Duck." Hallelujah! The ban is lifted!

Yes, maybe I'm stunting her normal development. Perhaps this is 2 steps back. Whatever. I'll tell you, nothing made me happier than seeing her in the car on the ride home, holding that duck and touching its foot to her nose, the same way she's done since she was 3 months old. She has the rest of her life to grow up.