No, my discomfort was caused by the 38 pound 5-year -old sitting on my lap.

I used to get pedicures on a regular basis, but with each child I have had, extra time and money have become harder to find. Now pedicures are reserved for emergency situations only, and my younger brother’s upcoming wedding definitely required professional intervention.

Since Aubrey, my 5-year-old, has started kindergarten, she comes home from school beside herself with exhaustion every afternoon. There have been many tears shed in my house lately over very insignificant issues. The time-out corner is staying as packed as the play-room at Chick-fil-A on a rainy day. I love my child and I know that she is tired but rules are rules at our house and if you can’t follow them, you suffer the consequences- tired or not.

Saturday morning was going to be a great time for me to get away from the craziness of my house and have a few quiet moments to think. But as I gathered my things to leave the house, I realized it had been a while since Aubrey and I had shared some alone time.

I quickly dressed her and snuck her out the front door while her sister was preoccupied and drove to the nail salon.

“What are we doing here, Momma?” she asked.

“We are going to get our nails painted!” The look on her face was absolutely priceless. Her mouth fell open and she threw her hands in the air as she asked, “For real?”

So I found myself leaning forward instead of backwards in the massage chair to support Aubrey’s back as she leaned forward to watch every single motion being made by the technician. I explained every tool and lotion, as my back ached and my stomach muscles cramped from sitting at an odd angle. My legs were bent at awkward angles to let the tech to work on my toes while allowing Aubrey to sit in my lap. Aubrey’s back was sweating and sticking against the front of my shirt and she kept dragging her curls through my lip gloss and across my face as she turned her head to talk to me.

But she had her head leaned against my chest for 30 full minutes, as she kept sighing contentedly and smiling up at me.

Yes, my five-year old, who is big enough to walk into her school “all by myself, Mom!” sat in my lap for half an hour and I’ll take what I can get.

School isn’t what I thought it would be. Instead of needing less from me, she seems to need more — more love, more time, more patience, more eye contact. Sometimes it’s hard to turn off the computer or ignore the piles of laundry in my house to give my children the quality time they deserve.  

But this past Saturday I shared 30 sweet, sweaty and uncomfortable minutes with my daughter that I hope she’ll never forget.

(Robin O’Bryant is a Mount Pleasant resident and mother of three. Read her blog online at www.robinschicks.com or e-mail her, zebandrobin@hotmail.com)