So, to add insult to injury, or to rub salt in my wounds, or to make my molehill into a mountain, or whatever...my daughter decided she would not be outdone my her brother's belief that I do not know how to 'work'.

Background:  9 year old Shekinah would be completely peer-oriented if I let her - she is forever (and ever, and ever, and ever!) asking if she can have a friend over to visit or if she can go visit a friend, or what not.  I allow friends to come play and I allow the kids to go to other people's houses when it's appropriate.  But, the busier I get the harder it is to want to have others milling about the house, so I am often saying no or putting it off to another day.

On this day, Shekinah was yet again pestering me to help her arrange a playdate.  Our conversation went something like this:

Mom:  "Sit down, it's time to do this math work."

Shekinah:  "Can I have a friend over?"

Mom:   "I am not discussing that now.  We are doing math."

Shekinah:  "But I want a friend over."

Mom:  "Not now, Kine!"

Shekinah:  "Please!  [insert whine]  I just wanna have a friend over!  I wanna have a friend over, I wanna have a friend over!"

Mom:  "Did you fold the laundry?"

Shekinah:  "No."

Mom:  "Hear we sit, at math time, and all you can do is whine and complain about wanting to have a friend over and you haven't even folded the laundry yet?"

Shekinah: "Well, I will if I can have a friend over."

Mom:  sarcastic laughter

Shekinah:  "What?"

Mom:  "Life is not about friends!!!  I would LOVE to just while away my days visiting my friends, having tea, and chit chatting with them!  But I can't do that!"

Shekinah:  "I know. You don't have any friends."

Mom:  hysterical laughter   "That's just the point!  I don't have the bloomin' time to devote to friendships!"

Shekinah:  "Well, you don't need friends.  You're a mom."

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That rendered me speechless.  Poor child...she actually brought me to tears at that point.  I wavered between hysterical laughter and mournful tears, and she just didn't know what to do with me! 

So, not only do I not know how to work, but I also do not need friends.   What's next?