The Nuisance Across The Hall

Eight: Is a Tomato a Fruit or a Vegetable?

     Sky texted me all day about how she was excited for tonight. She asked me what to wear, how to do her make-up, heels or no heels, etc. Point being, my phone didn't stop buzzing until Zack picked her up from her apartment.

     Sophia was ecstatic that I was staying home for the night. When she found out, she immediately started planning a to-do list for our evening together. Seeing that this was a once in a blue moon chance, I decided to spend all of it with Sophia. Cleaning and school can wait until she's asleep.

     "First thing," Sophia read off her little pink notepad. "We change into our coolest pajamas." We both ran into her room and started picking out her favorite pajamas.

     "How about your fuzzy orange bottoms with your black pumpkin T-shirt?" I suggested. "It's almost Halloween, you know."

     "Exactly. It's almost Halloween." She repeated, putting emphasis on almost. "Which means, not yet."

     Shutting down that idea, I offered a few more cute combos with her pajamas but she refused them all.

     "I don't want to look like a four-year-old, Mommy." She complained, crossing her arms. Her blonde pigtails didn't help her point.

     "Sweetie, you are four." I reminded her.

     "That doesn't mean I have to look four." She argued. She really was something else.

     Thinking for a moment, an idea finally popped into my head. "Put on your black leggings. I'll be right back."

     I got up from Sophia's floor and went to my room. I opened my drawer full of old T-shirts and started rummaging through them, trying to find the smallest one. Once I found a shirt that would only seem to be four sizes too big on her, I made my way back to Sophia's room.

     I threw the shirt at my daughter and she pulled it on over her head. She skipped over to the mirror to look at her new style. The faded red Chevrolet shirt fell down to her knees. The sleeves came to her elbows and it overall could've been a dress on her.

     She beamed at her reflection and turned around. "I love it!" She squealed. She ran to me and jumped into my arms.

     "But wait, we aren't done!" I told her as I sat her down. She looked up at me as I pulled her pigtails out. I pulled her hair into a ponytail then twisted it into a messy bun. "Now we are done."

     "Do I look like you now?" She asked me, literally looking up to me.

     I gave her a warm smile and said, "Exactly what I would wear."

     "Now it's time for you to change!" She cheered as she pulled me out of her room and into mine. "We should match!" She said as she went to my dresser.

     As she searched for my leggings I went to my T-shirt drawer. I tried to find a shirt that was about the same shade as Sophia's. I found an old Coca-Cola shirt that was similar enough.

     Sophia handed me my leggings and I changed into those along with my shirt. Once I was done, I pulled my hair into a messy bun as well.

     "Now we're twins!" Sophia cheered as she ran back into the living room

     I followed behind her and asked, "What's next on your list?"

     "It's time to build a fort." She said confidently. She ran to the couch and pulled off the cushions. After a minute of shuffling the plump cushions around, she looked to me for help.

     "I have a better idea," I told her as I walked to the two side chairs in the living room

     I pulled the two chairs over from their original spot and placed them in front of the couch. I grabbed a large bed sheet from the living room closet and draped it over the two chairs and the couch.