#1: I am occasionally a little astounded by how much of their lives some people live on their front stoops. I'm all for unwinding with a beer or a glass of wine, or hanging out to watch the kids play in the street (ideally one's own kids, though I have seen plenty of unsupervised, younger-than-I-would-be-comfortable-with, kids running around, so a few extra adults is never a bad thing). And a single family home with a nice big porch is a different story. Not attached to one or more other houses? Some acreage of your own to afford some privacy? Go crazy. Practice yoga in the nude on your front porch.
But in a townhouse neighborhood, the living is already a bit too close for comfort. Cigarettes smoked a mere inches from someone else's open window. Arguments between couples that don't want to fight in front of their kids. Extremely loud international phone conversations in other languages (is it something about the connection? Because our neighbors with relatives in other countries always talk to them VERY LOUDLY. On their front stoops. Probably to be considerate to those inside the house, I'm guessing).
Yesterday I was out jogging, and saw a man sitting on his front stoop, cutting his toenails. I could hear the sharp sound of the clippers cutting through keratin over the music coming through my earphones. And then I died from the grossness of it.
#2: Ever since I blogged about Lucy's success with potty training, she has had at least one accident a day. Of course.
#3: I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that immediately brought to mind all the myriad reasons why putting bumper stickers of any form on your car is a bad idea. And then I promptly forgot what the bumper sticker said. But can we all just agree that bumper stickers should be treated like tattoos - you've got to be REALLY certain you're behind the message, and that it's a message that will stand the test of time, before you slap it on your car? I think the situation is best avoided by just refusing to put ANYTHING on my car. Including those stick figure family stickers that advertise all the various members of your family, from perky, pony-tailed daughter to soccer-ball-kicking son to Fido with a bone in his mouth. I'm just trying to drive somewhere, I don't care who's in your family.
#4: In the very first blog post I ever wrote for this blog, I lamented about my difficulties in finding a hair salon in our area to get my hair cut. I relayed an awkward experience I had at a nearby salon, not sure if I would go back. Well, since then, I have: 1) tried a different salon a few times, with two different stylists. One gave me a pretty good haircut, while the other one left my hair looking pretty much exactly the same as it looked before I sat in her chair. Both of them charged me more than I really wanted to pay for a haircut. And now I receive e-mails from their salon EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. 2) I went to the Haircuttery twice, the same place M. and Finn go to because they offer very cheap haircuts. And because they were right next door to a Panera, so we could all get a fun breakfast afterward. My haircuts were OK but not great - the "layers" I asked for were not really executed with skill or noticeable effect. I was charged more because I have "long hair" (honestly I think this is lame, because short hair is usually more complicated to cut than long hair, but whatever, the total price is still relatively cheap). I don't really like going to salons where a blow dry is not assumed and costs extra (isn't the styling in the end every woman's favorite part about getting her haircut? Except for maybe the hair wash at the beginning?) And the Panera has now closed (though a Corner Bakery will be opening eventually in it's place), so I don't have the lure of yummy baked goods anymore. And, 3) I did go back once more to the salon I originally wrote about in my blog post. The awkward experience one. It was just as awkward the second time. And empty. The salon is now closed, and I am not surprised.
So this time? I bit the bullet, and went to my neighbor's salon. The neighbor that lives right next door to me, that we share a wall with, and wave at when we are both out on our decks. And stoops. I have been hesitating for over 4 years because, well, what if I didn't like the haircut? What if I didn't want to go back?
And? She gave me a really great haircut. It was clear that, unlike the Haircuttery staff and some of the others I've been to, she really, really knows what she's doing with those scissors. I'm kind of kicking myself that I didn't go earlier. I will be going back. And I'm considering bringing Lucy there (maybe this weekend) because frankly, I am tired of brushing her hair to the tunes of screams and wails and attempts to run away. I could cut her hair again myself, but at this point, I think I'd rather have someone else do it. And my neighbor is just so quick with those scissors, she'd probably have Lucy all fixed up before she even had time to get the first squawk out.
#5: Have a great weekend. That is all.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Updates: The Good, The Bad, and The Meh
Look at that, my husband ends his vagabond ways and comes home, and I can't eek out a blog post in over a week. I think it's pretty clear what's holding me back from being a wildly popular blogger with ad revenue and freelance jobs up the wazoo.
Time to update on a few issues.
The Good: I mentioned that we are attempting to potty train Lucy. This is (knock on copious amounts of wood) going very, very well. Last week we stuck her in pull ups all week, and she did a decent job keeping them dry for much of the day. Over the weekend we tried her in underwear each morning as we hung around the house. This girl is CRAZY for her Hello Kitty and Tinker Bell underwear, let me tell you. Absolutely LOVES it. And as a result, she insisted on wearing her underwear on Monday morning. In an effort to keep moving forward rather than forcing her to stay reliant on diapers/pull-ups, I agreed. And brought in 4 extra outfits to daycare.
Surprisingly, she managed to stay dry all day at school until a pee accident at around 3:30, where she apparently got a bit too engrossed in playing and realized too late that she had to use the potty - she basically peed down her leg as she informed her teacher that she needed to go potty. She wore a diaper at nap time, but kept it dry.
Since then, she has kept her underwear dry all day long (still wearing a diaper at nap, but keeping it dry). She is waking up wet in the morning, but I know that night-training can happen a lot later, and frankly, I am so incredibly astounded with how well she has taken to potty training. I am blown away! And now grappling with how to handle her new-but-still-tenuous skill when we travel up to Maine next week for vacation. I have a feeling that a 27-month-old in underwear is not exactly an awesome idea for an airplane ride, but I don't want to give her the wrong idea about what's appropriate or inadvertently discourage her. Maybe I'll just subtly stick a waterproof pad under her butt to protect her airplane seat?
The Bad: With two children, it's a miracle that they don't both drive us crazy more often. I am sure that will come, but for now, they seem to be alternating with each other in phases of easy and hard. And if Lucy is being pretty pleasant (for a two-year-old) and easy with this whole potty-training thing, well, that leaves Finn to take up the "hard" torch. Which he is doing with gusto!
You may recall a blog post or two (or fourteen) talking about Finn's, um, lack of listening skills. And some sheer bratitude thrown in. Well, for a time, he was showing some improvements. In the daycare behavior scale of green-yellow-red, he was earning a fair number of green circles for his good behavior. But that lasted about 3 weeks, and then his teachers were switched up, and then switched back again, and the system wasn't used consistently during the confusion. Now that it's back, he's basically scoring reds all around. And for those that don't know, red = BAD. Not bad as in "my child is beating all the other children up," but bad as in "my child refuses to control his impulses and listen to a damn thing his teachers tell him to do." It is so, so frustrating. So I've devised a new reward chart, with a brand new reward system, to try to get Finn to STRIVE. EARNESTLY. For good behavior (green circles). We'll see how it works. Finn is now officially the oldest kid in his classroom, and I think that is a bit of a disadvantage in terms of behavior. He is leaps ahead of some of the younger kids in terms of academic ability, so he gets a little bored during circle/class time. And he rules the roost, so to speak - he is finally turning into a bit of a leader instead of a follower, but he isn't necessarily using his influence for GOOD.
Though he's pretty good at making mischief all by himself, too.
He has also been more emotional lately, more prone to resorting to whining, shouting, and crying immediately, rather than trying to first ASK NICELY for something that he wants. I think he needs some intense positive attention from M. and me, and I just hope we can do that for him without losing our shit on a regular basis. Oh, FIVE! May you have better things in store for us than FOUR has had! Which was, admittedly, better than THREE (I think? It's possible I blocked the worst memories out). Let's try to roll with this "each year gets better" thing, eh?
The Meh: So, I received the bathing suits I ordered from Lands End, and it actually turned out very well. The one piece suit requires a LOT of shimmying to get into, but once it's on, it makes my torso look like a curvy, jiggle-free body part. Which it decidedly is not (curvy - yes; jiggle-free - no). So that's great. Unfortunately, it doesn't do the same for my thighs, which lie directly below the edge of the bathing suit. The contrast is bothersome for me, but hopefully only me, as we ladies are all our own worst critics. The two-piece is mostly flattering, but still has the dreaded waistline of the panty portion, which (unless you have some ungodly low percentage of body fat, which I do not) creates a love-handle effect unless you Urkel the panties in a fashion that would cause death by mortification if anyone found out. But it will be my mission to make sure no one actually finds out (with the exception of the 8 of you that read this blog, of course). So, I am keeping both suits, and am pretty pleased with the purchases. Especially given that they were on sale. I only really included them as "Meh" in this blog post because I made Smore's Brownies on Sunday, and have systematically been working my way through the pan with M. in a decidedly non-Weight Watchers' friendly fashion. So it's very possible that by this weekend, the suits will no longer fit.
Time to go run a few extra miles?? :-)
Time to update on a few issues.
The Good: I mentioned that we are attempting to potty train Lucy. This is (knock on copious amounts of wood) going very, very well. Last week we stuck her in pull ups all week, and she did a decent job keeping them dry for much of the day. Over the weekend we tried her in underwear each morning as we hung around the house. This girl is CRAZY for her Hello Kitty and Tinker Bell underwear, let me tell you. Absolutely LOVES it. And as a result, she insisted on wearing her underwear on Monday morning. In an effort to keep moving forward rather than forcing her to stay reliant on diapers/pull-ups, I agreed. And brought in 4 extra outfits to daycare.
Surprisingly, she managed to stay dry all day at school until a pee accident at around 3:30, where she apparently got a bit too engrossed in playing and realized too late that she had to use the potty - she basically peed down her leg as she informed her teacher that she needed to go potty. She wore a diaper at nap time, but kept it dry.
Since then, she has kept her underwear dry all day long (still wearing a diaper at nap, but keeping it dry). She is waking up wet in the morning, but I know that night-training can happen a lot later, and frankly, I am so incredibly astounded with how well she has taken to potty training. I am blown away! And now grappling with how to handle her new-but-still-tenuous skill when we travel up to Maine next week for vacation. I have a feeling that a 27-month-old in underwear is not exactly an awesome idea for an airplane ride, but I don't want to give her the wrong idea about what's appropriate or inadvertently discourage her. Maybe I'll just subtly stick a waterproof pad under her butt to protect her airplane seat?
The Bad: With two children, it's a miracle that they don't both drive us crazy more often. I am sure that will come, but for now, they seem to be alternating with each other in phases of easy and hard. And if Lucy is being pretty pleasant (for a two-year-old) and easy with this whole potty-training thing, well, that leaves Finn to take up the "hard" torch. Which he is doing with gusto!
You may recall a blog post or two (or fourteen) talking about Finn's, um, lack of listening skills. And some sheer bratitude thrown in. Well, for a time, he was showing some improvements. In the daycare behavior scale of green-yellow-red, he was earning a fair number of green circles for his good behavior. But that lasted about 3 weeks, and then his teachers were switched up, and then switched back again, and the system wasn't used consistently during the confusion. Now that it's back, he's basically scoring reds all around. And for those that don't know, red = BAD. Not bad as in "my child is beating all the other children up," but bad as in "my child refuses to control his impulses and listen to a damn thing his teachers tell him to do." It is so, so frustrating. So I've devised a new reward chart, with a brand new reward system, to try to get Finn to STRIVE. EARNESTLY. For good behavior (green circles). We'll see how it works. Finn is now officially the oldest kid in his classroom, and I think that is a bit of a disadvantage in terms of behavior. He is leaps ahead of some of the younger kids in terms of academic ability, so he gets a little bored during circle/class time. And he rules the roost, so to speak - he is finally turning into a bit of a leader instead of a follower, but he isn't necessarily using his influence for GOOD.
Though he's pretty good at making mischief all by himself, too.
He has also been more emotional lately, more prone to resorting to whining, shouting, and crying immediately, rather than trying to first ASK NICELY for something that he wants. I think he needs some intense positive attention from M. and me, and I just hope we can do that for him without losing our shit on a regular basis. Oh, FIVE! May you have better things in store for us than FOUR has had! Which was, admittedly, better than THREE (I think? It's possible I blocked the worst memories out). Let's try to roll with this "each year gets better" thing, eh?
The Meh: So, I received the bathing suits I ordered from Lands End, and it actually turned out very well. The one piece suit requires a LOT of shimmying to get into, but once it's on, it makes my torso look like a curvy, jiggle-free body part. Which it decidedly is not (curvy - yes; jiggle-free - no). So that's great. Unfortunately, it doesn't do the same for my thighs, which lie directly below the edge of the bathing suit. The contrast is bothersome for me, but hopefully only me, as we ladies are all our own worst critics. The two-piece is mostly flattering, but still has the dreaded waistline of the panty portion, which (unless you have some ungodly low percentage of body fat, which I do not) creates a love-handle effect unless you Urkel the panties in a fashion that would cause death by mortification if anyone found out. But it will be my mission to make sure no one actually finds out (with the exception of the 8 of you that read this blog, of course). So, I am keeping both suits, and am pretty pleased with the purchases. Especially given that they were on sale. I only really included them as "Meh" in this blog post because I made Smore's Brownies on Sunday, and have systematically been working my way through the pan with M. in a decidedly non-Weight Watchers' friendly fashion. So it's very possible that by this weekend, the suits will no longer fit.
Time to go run a few extra miles?? :-)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Some Thoughts, Mostly About Shopping
#1: M. is away right now, out of the country in fact. He's in Vienna, Austria - he's been gone since Sunday afternoon and won't return until late Thursday evening. I've been dealing with the typical "solo parenting" challenges that always seem to pop up when one of us is traveling. Finn was home sick today from daycare, Lucy has woken up at night the last two nights, etc. I was a little panicky yesterday afternoon when Finn was sobbing in the car that his arm and head hurt (while he was clearly feverish) and it was a mere 30 minutes before the pediatrician's office closed. I was a bit worried that he would turn out to have some sort of acute, needs-medical-attention-STAT disease, and my only option would be to truck him down to the emergency room with Lucy in tow. But sanity prevailed, I opted not to call the pediatrician and dosed him with Ibuprofen instead, and we've been mustering along OK ever since. In fact, with M. out of the country, I've still managed to take the kids to the library and neighborhood pool by myself, do the dinner/bathtime/bedtime thing three times, fold three loads of laundry, pick up the entire house in preparation for the cleaning lady, run a 5K on the treadmill last night, be (mostly) faithful to my weightwatchers' diet, and blog twice.
And you should know that I am not writing these boastful things for YOUR benefit. It is actually to make sure M. brings me some REALLY nice chocolate from Vienna.
#2: I am not a big scented candle fan, but I have come around to the utility of keeping one in the kitchen for those nights when the post-cooking dinner smells are a bit too pungent (I blame our wall-to-wall carpeting for those lingering odors, but then again, I hate our wall-to-wall carpeting, and try to blame it for just about everything). I discovered the Village Candle scent "Lemon Pound Cake" at my local grocery store, and instantly named it my favorite scented candle of all. It runs circles around Yankee Candle scents. And if I could diverge for a moment here, what is UP with Yankee Candle? Some of their scents? I just don't GET. What the heck is a "Hometown Days" candle supposed to smell like? Or "Over the River"? Come on, they are really reaching on some of these. Also, I wonder what their employee retention rates are. Personally, I need to switch to the other side of the mall whenever I near one if I want to avoid passing out from the smell. It always mystifies me that people can actually spend a full work shift in one of their stores.
But clearly, I digress. Back to the Lemon Pound Cake candle of delight. It is, sadly, gone. I burned the last of it while M.'s parents were here. But I did manage to stumble upon the free, forgotten car freshener that came with the candle back when I purchased it. And promptly installed it in my car. Now whenever I open my car door in this insane summer heat, I am enveloped in the warm, strong scent of lemon pound cake (it seriously smells EXACTLY like lemon pound cake). It is both quite pleasant and frustrating, because I wind up craving lemon cake several times a day. I may need to start keeping snacks in the car.
#3: I was sucked in by a coupon from Kohl's the other day, and went shopping (actually twice in one weekend, but I'm not sure I should cop to that much of a shopping addiction). Among other things, I purchased a new dress for Lucy. I couldn't resist, as it seemed like the perfect summery/nautical/lakeside dress. And we WILL be lakeside, shortly. We are traveling up to Maine to stay at my parents' lakeside house in early August. So really, justifiable purchase, no? Anyway, I really wanted to take a picture of Lucy in the dress to show you all how adorable she looks in it. Unfortunately, girlfriend just
would
not
stay
still
What, you gotta problem wit' that?
#4: Also while at Kohl's, I perused the "lady underthings" section (I believe the technical term might be "intimates"). I am making an effort to eradicate all traces of "maternity" underwear (and by maternity, I just mean REALLY BIG, because I never bought any ACTUAL maternity underwear), even the crappy stuff I've kept around for (whispered) that time of the month. Not only because of my progress over the last few months with Weightwatchers', but also because (the obvious) I haven't been pregnant in over two years. There is no reason for my rear end to be sporty saggy, stretched out Hanes briefs anymore.
I'm not sure why I felt the need to tell you WHY I was looking at the Kohl's lady underthings section, but now you know. And you should also know that I did not buy anything, because the only underwear I found remotely cute was in the Junior's section. Either my tastes are not all that mature, or Kohl's idea of stylish "Misses" underwear is more matronly than stylish. What is up with all the stretchy satin yuckiness that they pass of as underwear? I mean, I'm all for decent butt coverage, but there is a limit. And Kohl's has crossed it.
[I had much better luck at Target, where I absolutely LOVE their Gilligan and O'Malley line. Even though it never fails to make me think of the Professor, the Howells, the Skipper, et all.]
#5: Finally, in other shopping news, I went bathing suit shopping online for the first time ever. I was more than distressed by the bathing suit sections at both Target and Kohl's (And before you ask, yes, I occasionally shop elsewhere, but no, not frequently). Why is it that one-piece suits are nowhere to be found? Because I? Prefer one-piece suits. I don't care what size you are, a two-piece suit has a waistband, and that waistband WILL find any little lump that you have, and highlight it. But apparently we are no longer allowed to wear one-piece swim suits, according to the fashion industry, unless we are 50, cougar-ish, and heavily into animal prints.
Which left me with two-piece suits, fine, whatever, I'll give them a shot if I must. But these two-piece suits are not sold as an actually set, OH NO. You need to hunt down a top that looks remotely flattering/appropriately sized/decently patterned/not patterned, etc. And then you need to pray that you find some kind of bottom that, if it doesn't exactly match, is at least somewhat coordinating (and also flattering/appropriately sized/decently patterned/not patterned, etc). And what I am telling you is that THIS? Cannot actually be done. Perhaps it's the lateness of the season, but it's all bottoms and no tops, or vice versa, and never a pair can be matched.
So I gave up, and ordered two suits from Landsend.com. Two different styles (a one-piece - hurrah! - and a two-piece), two different sizes, two different colors/patterns. I took all my measurements, which differed wildly from the ones in the sizing charts (apparently my proportions are not what one might call "standard"), and had no idea which measurement I was supposed to size to. I am praying that at least one of the suits work out, because my current swim suits are butt-saggy (seems to be a pattern with me lately) and have enough room in the chest region to squeeze some small watermelons in with my breasts. There have been some close calls with what one might call "indecent exposure" at the pool already.
I'm a bit nervous about how it will turn out - here's hoping they have a generous, hassle-free return policy!
Enough rambling, I need to get myself to bed so I am ready for Lucy's middle-of-the-night wake up call tonight!
And you should know that I am not writing these boastful things for YOUR benefit. It is actually to make sure M. brings me some REALLY nice chocolate from Vienna.
#2: I am not a big scented candle fan, but I have come around to the utility of keeping one in the kitchen for those nights when the post-cooking dinner smells are a bit too pungent (I blame our wall-to-wall carpeting for those lingering odors, but then again, I hate our wall-to-wall carpeting, and try to blame it for just about everything). I discovered the Village Candle scent "Lemon Pound Cake" at my local grocery store, and instantly named it my favorite scented candle of all. It runs circles around Yankee Candle scents. And if I could diverge for a moment here, what is UP with Yankee Candle? Some of their scents? I just don't GET. What the heck is a "Hometown Days" candle supposed to smell like? Or "Over the River"? Come on, they are really reaching on some of these. Also, I wonder what their employee retention rates are. Personally, I need to switch to the other side of the mall whenever I near one if I want to avoid passing out from the smell. It always mystifies me that people can actually spend a full work shift in one of their stores.
But clearly, I digress. Back to the Lemon Pound Cake candle of delight. It is, sadly, gone. I burned the last of it while M.'s parents were here. But I did manage to stumble upon the free, forgotten car freshener that came with the candle back when I purchased it. And promptly installed it in my car. Now whenever I open my car door in this insane summer heat, I am enveloped in the warm, strong scent of lemon pound cake (it seriously smells EXACTLY like lemon pound cake). It is both quite pleasant and frustrating, because I wind up craving lemon cake several times a day. I may need to start keeping snacks in the car.
#3: I was sucked in by a coupon from Kohl's the other day, and went shopping (actually twice in one weekend, but I'm not sure I should cop to that much of a shopping addiction). Among other things, I purchased a new dress for Lucy. I couldn't resist, as it seemed like the perfect summery/nautical/lakeside dress. And we WILL be lakeside, shortly. We are traveling up to Maine to stay at my parents' lakeside house in early August. So really, justifiable purchase, no? Anyway, I really wanted to take a picture of Lucy in the dress to show you all how adorable she looks in it. Unfortunately, girlfriend just
would
not
stay
still
What, you gotta problem wit' that?#4: Also while at Kohl's, I perused the "lady underthings" section (I believe the technical term might be "intimates"). I am making an effort to eradicate all traces of "maternity" underwear (and by maternity, I just mean REALLY BIG, because I never bought any ACTUAL maternity underwear), even the crappy stuff I've kept around for (whispered) that time of the month. Not only because of my progress over the last few months with Weightwatchers', but also because (the obvious) I haven't been pregnant in over two years. There is no reason for my rear end to be sporty saggy, stretched out Hanes briefs anymore.
I'm not sure why I felt the need to tell you WHY I was looking at the Kohl's lady underthings section, but now you know. And you should also know that I did not buy anything, because the only underwear I found remotely cute was in the Junior's section. Either my tastes are not all that mature, or Kohl's idea of stylish "Misses" underwear is more matronly than stylish. What is up with all the stretchy satin yuckiness that they pass of as underwear? I mean, I'm all for decent butt coverage, but there is a limit. And Kohl's has crossed it.
[I had much better luck at Target, where I absolutely LOVE their Gilligan and O'Malley line. Even though it never fails to make me think of the Professor, the Howells, the Skipper, et all.]
#5: Finally, in other shopping news, I went bathing suit shopping online for the first time ever. I was more than distressed by the bathing suit sections at both Target and Kohl's (And before you ask, yes, I occasionally shop elsewhere, but no, not frequently). Why is it that one-piece suits are nowhere to be found? Because I? Prefer one-piece suits. I don't care what size you are, a two-piece suit has a waistband, and that waistband WILL find any little lump that you have, and highlight it. But apparently we are no longer allowed to wear one-piece swim suits, according to the fashion industry, unless we are 50, cougar-ish, and heavily into animal prints.
Which left me with two-piece suits, fine, whatever, I'll give them a shot if I must. But these two-piece suits are not sold as an actually set, OH NO. You need to hunt down a top that looks remotely flattering/appropriately sized/decently patterned/not patterned, etc. And then you need to pray that you find some kind of bottom that, if it doesn't exactly match, is at least somewhat coordinating (and also flattering/appropriately sized/decently patterned/not patterned, etc). And what I am telling you is that THIS? Cannot actually be done. Perhaps it's the lateness of the season, but it's all bottoms and no tops, or vice versa, and never a pair can be matched.
So I gave up, and ordered two suits from Landsend.com. Two different styles (a one-piece - hurrah! - and a two-piece), two different sizes, two different colors/patterns. I took all my measurements, which differed wildly from the ones in the sizing charts (apparently my proportions are not what one might call "standard"), and had no idea which measurement I was supposed to size to. I am praying that at least one of the suits work out, because my current swim suits are butt-saggy (seems to be a pattern with me lately) and have enough room in the chest region to squeeze some small watermelons in with my breasts. There have been some close calls with what one might call "indecent exposure" at the pool already.
I'm a bit nervous about how it will turn out - here's hoping they have a generous, hassle-free return policy!
Enough rambling, I need to get myself to bed so I am ready for Lucy's middle-of-the-night wake up call tonight!
Monday, July 18, 2011
So Four is Not the Age When the Ability to Understand Sarcasm is Developed
I made Finn cry yesterday. Like, heaving sobs.
It went down like this. There were shenanigans of the super annoying type going on, from both kids. The likes of which I probably don't really have to describe, as I'm sure anyone who has ever spent time with young children is fairly familiar with things like: "I hate grocery shopping! I won't get my shoes on! I won't walk toward the front door and the waiting car, I'll instead throw this toy around dangerously and pretend like I can't hear you! Oh, we're in the car and on our way to the store? Well, I'm thirsty! I need water! Now!"
Not direct quotes, PER SE, but you get the gist. It was, suffice it to say, SUPER annoying and frustrating. M. and I were both giving as much crab as we got, to convey said annoyance and frustration. In the process I told the kids (and this is a direct quote), "I give up. We're giving you back. We're not going to be your parents anymore."
The irony (?)(not entirely sure I can correctly identify all instances of irony, even at the advanced age of 34) is that we CAN'T give them back. I don't think my uterus would be very happy about that, among other reasons. We made 'em, we're stuck with 'em.
M. shared a look with me that was along the lines of "Word." Lucy continued to demand water from the backseat, oblivious. But Finn, well, he took this QUITE seriously. I heard some sniffles, looked behind me, and saw his face crumple in despair. Big fat tears started rolling down his face, and in no time at all he was sobbing. He doesn't WANT us to not be his parents anymore. He doesn't WANT someone else to be his parents. We are so MEAN. Why would we say something so MEAN to him?
I felt immediate remorse, of course. Finn "cries" occasionally - the kind of crying that is more for show because he's not getting something he wants, like a toy or TV privileges. It's quite loud, but short lived and tearless. I can tell he has complete control over it and doesn't really "mean" it. But this was different. He was truly upset. I guess because he really loves us or something.
We stopped at Starbucks and bought him some damn water. And chocolate milk.
It went down like this. There were shenanigans of the super annoying type going on, from both kids. The likes of which I probably don't really have to describe, as I'm sure anyone who has ever spent time with young children is fairly familiar with things like: "I hate grocery shopping! I won't get my shoes on! I won't walk toward the front door and the waiting car, I'll instead throw this toy around dangerously and pretend like I can't hear you! Oh, we're in the car and on our way to the store? Well, I'm thirsty! I need water! Now!"
Not direct quotes, PER SE, but you get the gist. It was, suffice it to say, SUPER annoying and frustrating. M. and I were both giving as much crab as we got, to convey said annoyance and frustration. In the process I told the kids (and this is a direct quote), "I give up. We're giving you back. We're not going to be your parents anymore."
The irony (?)(not entirely sure I can correctly identify all instances of irony, even at the advanced age of 34) is that we CAN'T give them back. I don't think my uterus would be very happy about that, among other reasons. We made 'em, we're stuck with 'em.
M. shared a look with me that was along the lines of "Word." Lucy continued to demand water from the backseat, oblivious. But Finn, well, he took this QUITE seriously. I heard some sniffles, looked behind me, and saw his face crumple in despair. Big fat tears started rolling down his face, and in no time at all he was sobbing. He doesn't WANT us to not be his parents anymore. He doesn't WANT someone else to be his parents. We are so MEAN. Why would we say something so MEAN to him?
I felt immediate remorse, of course. Finn "cries" occasionally - the kind of crying that is more for show because he's not getting something he wants, like a toy or TV privileges. It's quite loud, but short lived and tearless. I can tell he has complete control over it and doesn't really "mean" it. But this was different. He was truly upset. I guess because he really loves us or something.
We stopped at Starbucks and bought him some damn water. And chocolate milk.
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