Why Don't You Cuddle Me?

BigD's Birthday, his sisters gave him a birthday kiss.  He was not amused.

So I was tucking Ping into bed tonight, and she started a conversation which we've had a few times now... and it's basically, "why don't you cuddle me?"  She thinks it is very unfair that I will sleep the whole night in Mommy's bed, but I won't spend the whole night in her bed.

Ping:  Why don't you cuddle me?
Me:  Oh baby, I cuddle you lots!  What are we doing now?  I'm tucking you into bed, and look, I'm giving you a hug, and a good night kiss.
Ping:  No no no, not now.  I mean, later.
Me:  Every morning when I put you on the school bus, I give you a hug and a kiss.  Even if I have to stand outside in the freezing cold with wet hair and my pajamas, I still give you a hug before you go to school.  I cuddle you lots!
Ping:  No no no, not in the morning.
Me:  What about when I come home from work?  I walk in the house, I say "I'm HOME!"  And then I give you a big hug!
Ping:  Noooooo!  I mean at like MIDNIGHT!  Why don't you cuddle me at midnight?
Me:  Oh baby.  I do.
Ping:  No you don't!
Me:  Do you know what I do every night?!  When I go to bed, after I give you cuddles, I craaaaaawl into my bed, snuggle in tight with my blanket, and just as I start to drift off to sleep and have beautiful dreams of chocolate ice-cream bananna splits, your MOTHER takes her stinky cold feet and puts them RIGHT on my BACK and wakes me up!
She asks me:  "Oh most handsomest husband in the world, did you LOCK the doors before you came to bed?"
So I geeeeeet out of bed, craaaaaawl down the stiars and LOCK all the doors.

Then I go back to bed.  Snuggle in tight with my blanket and as I drift off to sleep having wonderful dreams of playing in a Rock and Roll bad, YOUR mother, takes her COLD STINKY feet and puts them RIGHT on my tummy!
And she says "Oh most wonderful smartest husband in the whole wide world, did you, did you CLOSE all the windows before you came to bed?"
So, I geeeeet out of bed, craaaaaawl down the stairs and SHUT all the windows.

I then go back to bed, snuggle up with my blanket and teddy-lion, and as I start to drift off to sleep dreaming of fast cars and being an international Spy, YOUR MOTHER, takes her COLD STINKY feet and puts them RIGHT UNDER my NOSE!
She wakes me us and says "Oh most awesomest father in the whole wide world, did you SET the alarm before you came to bed?"
So I geeeeet out of bed, craaaaaaawl down the stairs, and set the alarm.

Then I go back to bed... and as I start drifting off to sleep snuggled up in my blankey, your mother, YOUR MOTHER takes her COLD STINKY feet and puts them right in my EYE BALLS!
Then says "Did you remember to put Ping on the potty before coming to bed?"
So I get up, craaaaaaawl down the hall way, and take you to the washroom.

And as I carry you back to bed, and tuck you in, I give you a big hug, kiss your forehead, and let you drift off back to sleep... with one last cuddle for the day.

So yes my baby, I cuddle with you lots.  Even when you don't remember it.

Ping: *laughing*  Why does Mommy put her stinky toes on you?
Me:  I don't know baby... I don't know.

What a difference from the little girl who would have rather drowned than to have me help her, who made it very clear that she did not love me, whose love was so fragile that a hair cut could change it all and who valued her belly button lint more than me, to this beautiful daughter who can't get enough cuddles.

But then again, I'm not really surprised... after all, I do have a way with da ladies.