DSP-- Little One: Mud Pies

I come home from work and find "Mommy" asleep on the couch. I don't want to
disturb her, so I tiptoe past. I go into Little One's room but she is not
there. I am immediately surprised and concerned. I quickly check the den,
the living room, and the kitchen. I cannot figure out where my Little One
could be. I check my bedroom and the rest of the house. No Samantha
anywhere. I try to think if she was supposed to have a play date, but come
up clueless. I guess I'll have to wake "Mommy" up.

"Honey?" I give "Mommy" a slight nudge. "Wake up, please."

She stirs. "Oh, hon, I didn't hear you come in," she says. She sounds

terrible.

I look at her. "What's wrong?"

She sits up and then quickly lies back down. I think I've come down with a
virus or something. I feel just awful." She gives me a quick hug and a kiss
and tries to wake up.

I say, "I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling well." I lean down and feel
her forehead and it is really warm. "I hope you had a good nap, honey.
Where is Samantha, dear?"

"Samantha? She should be in her room, playing, hon," Mommy answers quietly.
I can tell she is about to fall back to sleep. I realize my wife is ill, but
am very concerned at where our four year-old daughter could be.

"I looked and she doesn't seem to be there."

Mommy jumps up. She grabs her head. "Oh, that was not a good idea," she
says. She looks at me. "Not there? Well, where could she be? I don't
think I was asleep for too long." She looks at the clock. "Oh, it has been
about an hour. Don, did you look outside?"

I go to the window and look out. I sigh a big sigh of relief. "There she
is, in the sandbox. Oh, and what a mess she is!"

Mommy says, "Well, it did rain last night. The sand must be awfully wet and
sticky. I cannot believe that child went outside without permission. I'll
go run a hot bath for her."

She tries to stand up but gets dizzy. I run over to her and help her. "No,
hon, you're sick. You need to go to bed. I'll take care of our little one."

Mommy tries to protest, but I don't let her. I help her to the bedroom and
then head outside to deal with my naughty little girl.

I rush out to the sandbox. Samantha looks up at me and says, "Hi, Daddy,"
all innocently. I am furious.

"Samantha Karen, what are you doing out here? Did Mommy say that you could
come outside?"

She looks up at me and starts to cry. She probably thought she was the
queen: sitting out here all by herself, making mudpies. I put my hands on my
hips and stare at her, waiting for her to answer.

"No, Daddy," she says quietly.

"And look at your clothes. You are all covered in mud. Well, let's get you
inside for a bath, and then we will talk about this, okay?"

I start to pick her up but she screams and cries, "No, Daddddddy, I wanna
play!"

"Samantha! No!" I pick her up and head inside, toward the bathroom.

"Please, Daddy, I wanna play!"

"Not now, Samantha Karen. You are all wet and cold. Now don't argue with
daddy, little one."

I set her down in the middle of the bathroom. I lean over and turn on the
water in the tub. I start to undress her. When I pull off her panties, I
realize she has made in her pants. I look at her, and she looks down. We
both see a big mess.

"Samantha Karen!" I say reproachfully.

She starts to cry. "I didn't know, Daddy."

"You didn't know? You've been a big girl about this for a year and a half
now -- you are supposed to know. What happened, young lady?"

"I don't know, Daddy. I was just busy playing. And like you said, it's
cold out and the sand was kind of wet." She smiles. "That's how I was able
to make such good castles. She must have realized I wasn't smiling, because
the tears started again. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"Well, let's get you cleaned up. Then we can talk. But I am not happy
about this, young lady."

I grab some baby wipes and start to clean her off. Then I plop her down
into the bathtub.

As soon as she hits the water, she cries out. "Dadddy, it's too hot!" She
climbs back out of the tub and in her hurry gets me all wet. She sees what
she has done and says, "Ooops, sorry, Daddy."

I am already pretty angry at her, and this has not put me in a better mood.
"You need to be more careful, Samantha Karen."

She pouts, because she hates when I call her that. She knows that she is in
trouble. I run a little more cold water. I feel it. "Now it is fine, come
on, get in, young lady."

I look at my little one who has not moved. "Get in, Samantha."

She shakes her head. "No, Daddy, don't wannnnna!"

I turn her around and give her one sharp smack to her bottom. "You get
yourself in that bath right now, young lady. I am not putting up with any
nonsense from you just now."

She yells out, "OWWW, Daddddy!" But she gets in and starts to pout. I just
stare at her. She knows I hate that.

"Now, now, none of that. No sulking." I start to scrub her with a

washcloth. She is absolutely covered in mud. "Why did you go outside,

Little One? Didn't Mommy tell you to play in your room while she napped?"

I stare down at my little girl in the tub. She nods. "Yes, Daddy, but I

looked out the window?"

She asks it instead of states it. She wants to make sure I am listening.
"Go on, tell daddy," I encourage her.

She smiles. "Well, Daddy, I looked out the window and the sandbox looked so
cool; I wanted to play in it. I tried to wake Mommy but she said she was
sleepy, so I went anyway. Was that bad?"

I think she knew it was bad. I looked at her. "Well, yes. Mommy said to
stay inside. I can understand that you wanted to go out, but you should have
waited for mommy. Besides it is all wet outside now, and mommy might not
have wanted you to go out and get all chilly."

Very matter of factly, my little one states, "But Daddy, I wanted to!"

I finish soaping her and rinse her off. "I know, but doing what you want
after mommy or daddy has said no is naughty, isn't it?"

My little one shrugs. "I guess, Daddy."

I finish bathing you and lift you out of the tub. I grab the big, soft,
pink towel and wrap you in it. I begin to dry you off. "Now, you know what
happens when you act naughty, right?"

Samantha looks up at me and asks in a quiet voice, "You gonna give me a

spanking, Daddy?"

"Yes, Little One, I am. This will help you to remember that when Mommy or
Daddy tells you to do something, you are to do it." I lead her into her
bedroom, and sit down on the bed. I take her over my lap, still naked from
her bath.

She cries out. "No, Dadddddy, pleeeease. I don't wanna spankin'."

"I'm sure you don't want it, but you're going to get it. You never want a
spanking. That's why it's a punishment."

I begin her spanking, raising my hand and bringing it down on her little

bottom, over and over. As I spank, I lecture her.

She cries out, "Dadddy, nooooo! I sorrrrry!"

"Yes, Samantha Karen. {Smack} You will not {Smack} go outside {Smack} when
Mommy {Smack} or Daddy {Smack} tells you {Smack} to stay inside." {Smack}

"Okaaaaay, Dadddy," Samantha cries.

{Smack} "And you will pay attention {Smack} to when you need {Smack} to go
potty. {Smack} You will not {Smack} 'just forget'."{Smack}

"I will, Daddy," she cries. She is sniffling and almost limp over my lap,

and I know she has learned her lesson.

I give her three more smacks and then let her up.

"All right, little one, your spanking is over."

I pull her up and lift her into my lap. I put my big arms around her and

hold her tight. She hugs me back real tight.

"I love you, Daddy," she says. It's music to my ears. As much as I don't
like to punish my little girl, I know that she needs it, and that we have a
close relationship. She is always sorry for the things that she does, and
she seems to learn a good lesson. Until the next time, that is.

My little one cries into my arms. Very quietly, she says, "I sorry, Daddy."

I smile. "I know, sweetie. I love you too, little angel. But you have to
learn to obey."

She nods. I can tell she is getting sleepy. "Yes, Daddy, okay."

I hold her for a bit more and then lay her down on her bed. I go to get her
panties and her pajamas, when she jumps up. She starts running around,
giggling. I am surprised she is up, because she usually naps after a
spanking.

"Little one, calm down. You need to take a nap before dinner."

She yells out, "No, Daddy, don't wanna. I wanna play. Where's Mommy?"

I grab her and say, "Young lady, I just spoke to you about obeying. Now,
Mommy is sick and is laying down, and that's what you need to do. Right
now!" I can't believe how quickly I could lose my patience with her again.

Samantha starts to pout. "Okay, Daddy," she says sadly.

Now I feel bad. She was punished and we made up. I reach out for her and
start to tickle her. She giggles. Then she runs away from me. I shake my
head. "No, no, now come here, baby, and let me help you into your pajamas."

She knows not to test me any further, and comes right to me.

"Good girl. Hold up your arms and let me put your top on."

She listens but is still giggling. I tickle her a bit, and she laughs. I

love the sound of her little girl laughs.

"So you're giggly today, hmm? Well, this is what happens to giggly girls."
I tickle her some more. She laughs again. "Now sit down and stick your legs
out for me to put the bottoms on."

Samantha laughs. "Daddy, you forgot my panties!" She holds them out to me,
and I chuckle myself.

"Well, stick your legs out for those first, and then the PJ bottoms, okay?"

I help her on with her panties and her bottoms. I pull down the covers on
her bed. "Now climb in, little one. It's time for your nap. I will come
wake you for dinner."

She climbs in and holds her arms out for a hug. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too, sweetie. Sweet dreams."

I tuck her in and kiss her good night.