Whoa, Easy Girl

As you read this, I will tell you that Phoebe and I are now on spring break in NYC. Prior to leaving, I told P. we needed to pack. Being she is a very "mature" five, I said to her:

JESSICA: Go and pick out some clothes to bring on our trip.

Moments later, Phoebe enters my bedroom and proceeds to dump THIS on my bed. 

 

 
Then, before I could inform her that I didn't mean the entire contents of her closet, she had already left the room while yelling:

PHOEBE:  Wait, I'm not done:

only to return so that she could dump this on my bed as well:

 

When I tried to explain to her that a) we were only going for a few days and b) we were flying economy, not CARGO, she insisted that she NEEDED all of this.  I then tried to reason with her by informing her that the size of the bunny rabbit alone would require me to buy an additional seat. Her response was to run and grab her Hello Kitty wallet, pull out four singles that she stole from me I have no recall of giving her and tell me:

PHOEBE: Then I'll buy it.

At this point, I went and grabbed a chair and showed her how much of an airline seat four dollars would actually get her:

Then, being the "mature" five year old that I thought she was combined with the fact that she does have 20/20 vision, Phoebe quickly "came around' and after I promised her a chocolate bar for the plane ride realized she had gone way overboard, allowing me to pack for both of us.

WINNERS OF THE BOOK "HOW TO TRAUMATIZE YOUR CHILDREN"

(after narrowing it down to 15- all names went into a hat and Phoebe picked the final 10) and here they are (congrats and thanks for participating):

http://www.gonecrazy-bebacksoon.blogspot.com

http://www.annsrants.blogspot.com

http://marymoores.blogspot.com

http://www.sonotzen.com

http://www.thewoodlife.blogspot.com

http://www.lovemyjared.blogspot.com

http://www.jamjarboogie.blogspot.com

http://www.pinkhollyhock.blogspot.com

http://www.writeonyo.typepad.com 

and Janine:  who doesn't have a blog yet but whose comment was priceless.

Please email me where you want me to send the book. Thanks again for playing.....

Comments

[Michele]

Have a great trip to NYC.

Did she remember socks? My boys would never remember socks.

[Beth]

Phoebe packs like my husband packs. And my bribes don't consist of candy.

[The Dental Maven]

I think the "pack an outfit for all possible events" is a female dominant trait. I, myself, still struggle with this one.

[prefers her fantasy life]

I love the fact that your daughter's wardrobe supports breast cancer survivors. And the four dollars--what a great problem solver she is!

[KathyB!]

If she thinks she needs this much clothing now, imagine what will happen when she hits the teenage years and adds shoes and accessories to the load... You really will need to fly cargo :)

[Dana's Brain]

Girl knows how to pack!

[Holly]

Too funny! I think you were being pretty generous with how much of a seat $4 buys. LOL

[blognut]

Damn! I never win anything.

I pack like Phoebe packs. There's no harm in that, is there? I like to have lots of choices available to me.

[Andrea's Sweet Life]

We had to evacuate our home due to a fire last fall, and I told my then 4 y/o daughter to go pack a few things. All she packed was stuffed animals, because apparently they make a great substitute for underwear.

[stoneskin]

I don't understand what's so funny, or not funny for that matter. I do exactly as Phoebe did when my wife asks me to pack.

[Busy Bee Suz]

Phoebe is a genius. I love it. I bet her little butt could fit in the 4$ square.

[Ann's Rants]

Woot! Can't wait to read the book. Oh, and Phoebe might want to pack something a bit warmer. Then again,she could just wear the bunny.

[kristin]

My daughter would have either said that she could sit on my lap or that the bunny could sit on my lap. I'm betting she wouldn't budge. Or it would cost me more than chocolate. You're lucky.

[Ms. Changes Pants While Driving]

i always pack too much underwears. like i'm going to run out, or need to change underwears five times a day.

i won!! i won something! ohhhh!!! i NEVER win any of these blog contests where you bare your soul and feel like an ass, but want the book/porn/magazine/mug/sticker!!

[Ms. Changes Pants While Driving]

oh, and why did i think phoebe was 13?

[Kate Coveny Hood]

Hey! That's how I pack. Because you never know when a stuffed animal or five might come in handy...

[Mary @ Holy Mackerel]

WOo Hoo!! I won! I won!! I really really won!!

And your daughter's idea of packing for a few days is very similar to mine...

[Marinka]

I'm going to diet until I can fit into that seat.

[Small Footprints]

Too Funny! I love what children find important and necessary ... things that make them feel happy and safe first, underwear second. Maybe we'd all be better off if we grabbed our stuffed animals first. :)

Small Footprints
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com

[Felisa]

Haha she packs like me. Make sure to bring all kinds of clothes. Just in case :D

Four dollars won't even buy you that anymore!

[San Diego Momma]

How does one go about procuring a mature five-year-old?

Any and all tips are welcome.

[Akilah Sakai]

Congrats to the winners! Woohoo!

Phoebe is a genius! She offered to pay. Aw, that is so damn cute.

Enjoy New York and eat a pizza slice for me. I really miss N.Y. pizza.

[michelle]

Hey where are you in NY? Are you or do you celebrate Passover? email me michellejoy61@gmail.com!!!

[shana]

Yay! Looking forward to the book. And plus? I just love winning shit. But then again, who doesn't?

I am the worst packer of all time. I want to take everything, then I stress over what I can't take. It's an illness.

I flew from Portland OR to New Orleans in February on Continental. NO FREE CHECKED BAGS. Every bag had a fee. Total crap. Hope you bought your ticket on (1) a better airline or (2) before that little price gouging policy went into effect.

Happy and safe travels : )

[Ronnica]

Ooh, that's a great illustration of how expensive it is to fly!