Funny Stories

Every morning there is a big rush down the hall with Georgia yelling "I'm going to push the button!" as though I'm going to fight her over whose right it is to push it. Really, I thought this little game would get old after a few months, but it does make mornings fun with her racing down the hall and me trailing behind laden down with bags, a lunch kit, a nap mat and whatever else we have deemed necessary for our day saying "Georgia! Don't push the button until I get there!!!" "Okay, Georgia!!! Don't get in the elevator if it comes until I'm there with you!" "GEORGIA!!! NEVER EVER STEP IN THE ELEVATOR WITHOUT MOMMY!!" My greatest fear is that she gets in the elevator, hits the #1 and is swooped down to the first floor without me. Leaving me to wonder, should I race down 10 floors which would obviously take a good 5 minutes...or just wait for the next elevator (they are pretty fast- so this would be my choice if the situation ever arose). Luckily, she listens. Most of the time she will wait for me to get to the elevators before she pushes the button. Some mornings she's just a little more anxious than others.

Once the magic button has been pushed I am then read my rights for the next step in the process. "Okay, Mommy when the alligator (she's a little confused on elevator and alligator) gets here I will push the button inside, okay? I will push number 1. You don't push it. I will push it." "Okay, Georgia, got it." Then we play a game of which elevator it will be. Georgia's favorite is the service elevator- I have no idea why. Out of four elevators 3 are gorgeous- they have gleaming wooden walls, nice floors and televisions in the corner. Shortly after we moved in Georgia had the experience of riding in the service elevator (Standard silver walls, ugly tile floors and no TV. It is bigger and the doors are taller. but it hardly ever is in regular use since people rent it out for moving purposes and you can "lock" it on a floor while you are moving) Needless to say the first time it showed up to take us down Georgia was in awe. "Wow! I like this alligator! It's BIG, why haven't I ever seen this one before?"

So every morning when I ask her which one will it be today she replies "The big one!" I always reply knowingly- "No, Georgia, probably not." and of course I'm always right. Well, except for today, and a couple other times...

Moving on- we play the same game when we get home from work/school. As soon as we get past the lobby Georgia starts running. The other day she flew around the corner (I was pretty quick this day) right as a man walked up from the other side. Georgia paused for a minute and unknowingly the gentleman pushed the elevator button. "HEY!" Georgia said with her hands on her hips, "I was going to push that!" she was pretty perturbed this guy took away her right as elevator button pusher. A group of about 4 people standing around just laughed at her while I explained that it was okay and she could push it next time. Next thing you know the service elevator light goes off and Georgia gasps, "MOM! It's the BIG alligator! Yay, yay, yay!" Again some laughter. The other residents are a little weary of this elevator since it's also known to get stuck occasionally. One lady says "Oh no, I don't like this elevator" Georgia, "It's my favorite! I love this alligator!" and once again she has stolen the show. They think it's so cute she calls is an "alligator" then she goes on to tell them her love for the alligator and her memories in it. "One time my mommy and I rode in it....."

I tried to correct her the other day and teach her the difference in alligator and elevator, but my heart just wasn't in it. She's got the rest of her life to learn that and it makes me smile when I hear it.