Kim’s mom was at a retreat at her temple, and fell, injuring her back. It’s minor enough she was sent home today, but she is in significant pain and it will take some time to heal (broken bone).

Kim went and picked her up at the hospital today, and is with her at her house, so it’s just me and Hazel at home.

All night, every 10-20 minutes, Hazel would ask, “Where Mommy go?”
Me:She’s at Popo’s (Hazel calls Kim’s mom Popo)
Hazel: Oh.

As we started the bedtime routine, Hazel was asking for mommy more and more. I tried to calm her, but she was getting really upset. Our normal routine is that she gives Kim a “big hug”, then a kiss before I put her to bed.

As I was trying to get her to actually go to bed, Hazel was SCREAMING. “Mommmy-BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG HUUUUUUUUUUUUG?!?!?!?!?!? WHERE MOMMY GO???” with the kind of upset wailing only a toddler can muster. I kept saying:”She’s with Popo, we’ll see her tomorrow”. Wailing. Wailing. Wailing. Over and over. I’m trying to comfort her, but she was heading into full toddler meltdown.

Then I said, “Hazel, listen, Popo has a big owie, so Mommy is at her house to help her. Mommy loves you, and she loves Popo, and right now, Mommy needs to help Popo. ”

Holy Crap.
It worked.

She looked at me.

She took some big heaving sobbing breaths. Then she said, “Hazel loves Popo. Mommy helping Popo. I like that”. And calmed down.

Next thing she said was “Read book??”