Helping

This morning, Ellie was sitting on my lap, minding her own business, chewing away on her pacifier, and not bothering anyone, not in the least. 

Margaret came over and looked at her.  Appraisingly.

And then she said “Mommy, Ellie is thirsty.”

“No,” I said, “I don’t think so.  Ellie just ate.”

“Not hungry.  Thirsty.”

“Oh,” I said. “Well Ellie’s food is milk, so hungry and thirsty are the same thing.  And she just ate.”

Margaret looked at me pityingly, because clearly I was an unfit mother. “Ellie wants water from a big girl cup.”

And then she went and got a big girl cup, pretended to put water in it from the sink on her play kitchen, brought it over, took Ellie’s pacifier out, held the cup up to her mouth, and crammed the pacifier back in.

“Look!” said Margaret, “Ellie had water!  Margaret did it!”

So there you have it.  Ellie was thirsting after imaginary water from a big girl cup, and I had no idea.  I guess that’s what sisters are for.