the pecking order of life

So sierra and I have been having a lot of little power struggles, mainly involving what she wants to wear, versus what I want her to wear. Since it is still winter in Syracuse, I find it reasonable to expect to dress her in, warm leggings, long sleeved shirt, sweater, and the dreaded socks, which she always removes once she gets to school, rebel that she is. and she sees more fit to want to wear skirts, 2 layers of short sleeved shirts, tights and absolutely no sweater. I want to french braid her hair, or put it in a pony tail, and she wants to brush it herself and stick a headband in it. so we compromise. which pretty much means. she gets to wear whatever she picks out, because it is just so freaking easier, and i need to get out the door. to get to my job. and she needs to get to school.

but lately, i have started trying to take the upperhand with her, and telling her, that I am the mommy, and she is MY little girl, and hence has to wear whatever i say, because that is my job, making sure that she is taken care of, and someday when she is a mommy, she can decide the rules for her children. and if her rules say, no socks or sweaters in winter, or cookies for dinner everynight, and never brushing teeth, etc... then so be it, she can decide for herself the rules she wants, but for now, I am her mommy, and these are MY rules. and then i went on to tell her, that when i was little, my mother ( grammy) was the boss of me, and to this day, i still listen to her, and do whatever MY mommy tells me to do. Sierra was pondering this all over, in her head, i could see the wheels turning in her brain, she was mulling over the whole concept. i could totally see that she was trying to decide if she was going to be uber liberal, or super strict, with her own progeny, and feeling giddy with power, she dutifully donned the outfit that i was forcing upon her, with a smug knowing grin, that someday she would indeed be in charge of her own minions.

and it has become a fun game now, when she brings me her baby dolls, to babysit, I always ask her what the rules are for her "kids". because she is their mom afterall, and also because i love hearing her rules..
"one lollipop, but never two."
"they wear da clothes that i picked out for 'dem. "
"sometimes they can have soda but not too many times, and sometimes they can have ice cream, but never when i doesn't say so"
"dem can stay up for 2 scooby doos, but not da whole thing" etc. etc. etc

and so, then sierra asked me, if grammy is the boss of me, then is nannamama the boss of grammy? and i said yes!

and then she cocked her head to the side, and thought for a second, and asked " well, 'den who is 'da boss of nannamama? is it God?

I laughed for a long time, at this image of the pecking order, and I have to say, nannamama is indeed the grand dame of our family. I can picture no higher order. above nannamama's authority , except well, a higher order.

god bless nannamama.