Adventures in Motherhood
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Alana dropped the Pizza!
It’s never just as simple as “Alana dropped the Pizza” it’s always just a bit more complicated than that.
It was the end of a hectic week. Friday was slow in coming, but had finally arrived. Mark decided that I wanted a new cabinet for the bathroom, and incidentally, a matching cabinet for the wall. (Actually, Mark decided that there was too much of my stuff, on the very small bathroom sink and no place for his razor.) So he spent most of the afternoon and evening in various stages of “putting them together.”
Now I don’t at all mean to sound ungrateful. I certainly don’t like being the person who has to put stuff together using in the ridiculous instructions and using the even more ridiculous fake tools that inevitably come in the package. That being said, I have (after 8 + years of marriage) finally accepted the fact that during this process, I cannot make things better. There will be grunting and the occasional outburst, and it is best just to stay out of the room and take the kids away from underfoot.
This particular Friday I was tired, and had to stay late for a meeting at work that my boss hadn’t bothered to show up for. I spent the first hour-and-a-half after I got home, straightening up a minor mess and catching up on some housework that hadn’t gotten done, and by the end I was way too tired to even think of making a roasted chicken with several sides for dinner.
But knowing that we all were needing a little break, I decided to go to one of the “take-and-bake” pizza places, and pick up a pizza or two. Alana had been particularly good that day (and she was fully dressed) so I very quietly went up to her and asked if she wanted to go get pizza with me. She was busy on the computer and after thinking it over for a second decided that she really didn’t want to come. That was fine, I asked Anarosa if she wanted to come. Yes she did! Of course Jacob overheard and he wanted to come too. Anarosa just needed to find shoes, but Jacob was dressed in a princess skirt, batman cape and glass slippers. So we had to get him dressed from scratch. And once they were both ready, Alana decided that she didn’t want to be left out, so she was coming too! Well, twenty minutes later we all get into the car.
We were just a tad rowdy getting into the car. By this time, they’re hungry because dinner is late. And so before we get out of the car to go into the restaurant I give them the “we are going to listen to mommy and be good in the store” speech. Now, I’ve been watching Super Nanny lately, so I’m very sure that this is a good speech and given in just the right “kind but firm” tone of voice. In fact I’m very proud of the speech. We get inside the store, and order the pizza, the kids do reasonably well, with just a few reminders that they need to stop jumping off the bench and trying to land on the pizza logo in the middle of the floor!
We finally get our pizza, soda, and breadsticks home. Everyone wants to carry something into the house, Alana gets the pizza, and after several warnings to carry it with both hands straight upstairs. She of course tries to pirouette in the driveway, and in slow motion the pizza tips and then, everything falls to the ground, toppings first of course!
Words cannot describe how frustrated I was! (Well now, yes they can, but I can’t cuss, so I didn’t) I just yelled ALANA!!!! And went upstairs and hid in my room for about 10 minutes, when I calmed down, I took the sobbing Alana and went back to the pizza store, to pick up another pizza!
It was the end of a hectic week. Friday was slow in coming, but had finally arrived. Mark decided that I wanted a new cabinet for the bathroom, and incidentally, a matching cabinet for the wall. (Actually, Mark decided that there was too much of my stuff, on the very small bathroom sink and no place for his razor.) So he spent most of the afternoon and evening in various stages of “putting them together.”
Now I don’t at all mean to sound ungrateful. I certainly don’t like being the person who has to put stuff together using in the ridiculous instructions and using the even more ridiculous fake tools that inevitably come in the package. That being said, I have (after 8 + years of marriage) finally accepted the fact that during this process, I cannot make things better. There will be grunting and the occasional outburst, and it is best just to stay out of the room and take the kids away from underfoot.
This particular Friday I was tired, and had to stay late for a meeting at work that my boss hadn’t bothered to show up for. I spent the first hour-and-a-half after I got home, straightening up a minor mess and catching up on some housework that hadn’t gotten done, and by the end I was way too tired to even think of making a roasted chicken with several sides for dinner.
But knowing that we all were needing a little break, I decided to go to one of the “take-and-bake” pizza places, and pick up a pizza or two. Alana had been particularly good that day (and she was fully dressed) so I very quietly went up to her and asked if she wanted to go get pizza with me. She was busy on the computer and after thinking it over for a second decided that she really didn’t want to come. That was fine, I asked Anarosa if she wanted to come. Yes she did! Of course Jacob overheard and he wanted to come too. Anarosa just needed to find shoes, but Jacob was dressed in a princess skirt, batman cape and glass slippers. So we had to get him dressed from scratch. And once they were both ready, Alana decided that she didn’t want to be left out, so she was coming too! Well, twenty minutes later we all get into the car.
We were just a tad rowdy getting into the car. By this time, they’re hungry because dinner is late. And so before we get out of the car to go into the restaurant I give them the “we are going to listen to mommy and be good in the store” speech. Now, I’ve been watching Super Nanny lately, so I’m very sure that this is a good speech and given in just the right “kind but firm” tone of voice. In fact I’m very proud of the speech. We get inside the store, and order the pizza, the kids do reasonably well, with just a few reminders that they need to stop jumping off the bench and trying to land on the pizza logo in the middle of the floor!
We finally get our pizza, soda, and breadsticks home. Everyone wants to carry something into the house, Alana gets the pizza, and after several warnings to carry it with both hands straight upstairs. She of course tries to pirouette in the driveway, and in slow motion the pizza tips and then, everything falls to the ground, toppings first of course!
Words cannot describe how frustrated I was! (Well now, yes they can, but I can’t cuss, so I didn’t) I just yelled ALANA!!!! And went upstairs and hid in my room for about 10 minutes, when I calmed down, I took the sobbing Alana and went back to the pizza store, to pick up another pizza!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Well, not much to report this week. We've been doing everything we usually do. We thought that Anarosa might have another case of shingles. But, the doctor we saw yesterday didn't seem to think that that's what they were. (she gave us the medicine for shingles anyway, just in case!) I think she could tell that I wasn't quite convinced that they weren't shingles, and I was prepared to come right back in the next day if they got worse!
Mark went camping with the young men last weekend! He hasnt' been camping for a while now, so I'm sure he had fun. We got to stay home all weekend (since Mark had the car) It was nice, and I finally got a Saturday to catch up on housework! Oh, my other big excitement is that Mark helped to pick a TON of lemons off of our tree. I bought a new citrus juicer, and after juicing less than half the lemons we collected I had four cups of lemon juice in the frig! So I have a feeling we'll be drinking lemonade for a long time!
Mark went camping with the young men last weekend! He hasnt' been camping for a while now, so I'm sure he had fun. We got to stay home all weekend (since Mark had the car) It was nice, and I finally got a Saturday to catch up on housework! Oh, my other big excitement is that Mark helped to pick a TON of lemons off of our tree. I bought a new citrus juicer, and after juicing less than half the lemons we collected I had four cups of lemon juice in the frig! So I have a feeling we'll be drinking lemonade for a long time!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
April Showers
And speaking of Jacob, the little stinker……
I took the day off yesterday, and naturally didn’t get around to taking a shower until mid-morning. Jacob heard the water and immediately wanted to get into the shower with me. I’m not sure what came over me, but I didn’t particularly want to share my shower, so I said no. Now once I’ve said “no” I’ve painted myself into a corner. There was pleading and wining and crying. But I held firm, (on principal) I had said no and I meant no.
Jacob went away but came back about a minute later, and knocked on the bathroom door, “Can I come in mommy’s shower” “no” knocking on the shower curtain, “Can I come in the shower” “No” Now, he does his version of whistling at me – Which is really just yelling Whoo, wooo woot! “NO!”
He goes away again, and about 30 seconds later comes back.
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
(we’re trying to potty train)
“okay”
“I need help taking my pants off”
“okay” (pants come off)
“I need to take my diaper off”
“okay” (diaper comes off)
“I need to take my shirt off”
“no just leave it on”
“I can’t I have to go potty NOW!”
“all right” (shirt comes off)
“I don’t have to go potty anymore, I’m ready for my shower”
Needless to say I got out of the shower, and Jacob got in. I’m not exactly sure, but I think he earned it.
I took the day off yesterday, and naturally didn’t get around to taking a shower until mid-morning. Jacob heard the water and immediately wanted to get into the shower with me. I’m not sure what came over me, but I didn’t particularly want to share my shower, so I said no. Now once I’ve said “no” I’ve painted myself into a corner. There was pleading and wining and crying. But I held firm, (on principal) I had said no and I meant no.
Jacob went away but came back about a minute later, and knocked on the bathroom door, “Can I come in mommy’s shower” “no” knocking on the shower curtain, “Can I come in the shower” “No” Now, he does his version of whistling at me – Which is really just yelling Whoo, wooo woot! “NO!”
He goes away again, and about 30 seconds later comes back.
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
(we’re trying to potty train)
“okay”
“I need help taking my pants off”
“okay” (pants come off)
“I need to take my diaper off”
“okay” (diaper comes off)
“I need to take my shirt off”
“no just leave it on”
“I can’t I have to go potty NOW!”
“all right” (shirt comes off)
“I don’t have to go potty anymore, I’m ready for my shower”
Needless to say I got out of the shower, and Jacob got in. I’m not exactly sure, but I think he earned it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Flying Kites
Flying Kites
This title immediately makes me think of the last scene in the movie “Mary Poppins”. An idealistic family, whose distant father has now become a bastion of familial attentiveness, skipping arm and arm down a London street singing passionately about the simple pleasures of flying a kite. My own experiences with kites have not been the same.
I arrived home from work yesterday tired, but ready to tackle the challenges of the day. The house was in need of immediate attention, by that of course I mean that lunch was still on the table in all its glory, and someone other than the ants should start cleaning it! I was immediately greeted by three very enthusiastic offspring who had evidently been waiting with baited breath for my very arrival. All of whom were under the impression that I had come home for the express purpose of taking them to the park to fly kites!
“Kites, I said we don’t have any kites!” (I know this because I purposefully did NOT buy them kites at the grocery store the last time we were there – but I digress)Yes, Kites, and then I spied the kites, my mother-in-law had included in their Easter baskets…….Well, as a parent this is the moment of decision. Do I crush their eager faces and give in to the mundane demands of housekeeping and the social pressures of maintaining at least a “presentable” house, or do we through cleanliness to the wind and head off arm and arm down the street singing the praises of high and holy motherhood? Well the first I must admit. After trying diplomatically to come up with several excuses as to why Mommy didn’t think it was a good idea to go to the park today, and explaining multiple times how I didn’t think that flying them on our deck (beneath the pine tree) was a good idea, I finally succumbed to the fall back position: “why did your dad tell you I would do it anyway.” This not being entirely fair since Mark took off the minute I got home to go finish the maintenance at the apartment buildings. (He also left before I could see if he was smirking, so generous as I am I will give him the benefit of the doubt)
Well after 20 minutes of stalling and furious cleaning on my part, and 20 minutes of whining and crying on theirs we finally grabbed the keys and the kites and headed to the car. (okay 20 minutes of cleaning and whining and 15 minutes finding shoes, but you get the idea).
After settling everybody in, and buckling about 500 safety buckles, we are finally on the road, and I am feeling immensely proud of the parent I have become! We are being spontaneous, I am responding to the call of childhood. So, we reach the park whereupon I realize that I have three children and three kite packages, but not enough parts to construct three kites! So after some very interesting negotiating we decide how to divide two working kites between three very avid kite flyers.
Now the hard part. I had naively assumed that being an adult of average intelligence I would be able to assemble a child’s kite. But alas, this was not to be. We finally constructed something very much like a kite, but at this juncture Anarosa decided it was finished and ran into the wind. It never really flew, but she had fun and only got it caught in two separate trees. The next kite was put together much more easily, but unfortunately with little more success. It however was also fun to run around the empty field with. It was a very windy day and we were right off of the shore, so thankfully the kites were always “flying” just never more than about four feet off the ground. Jacob and Alana took turns with the other kite and Anarosa took turns instructing them in the art of kite flying (which consisted of “This way! This way! Not that way!) After the first thrill of flying the kites was over, we began to squabble over turns and why they weren’t flying and anything else we could manage to squabble over. The kites of course at this point are intertwined and Jacob wanders off to the playground to slide on the slide.
Since I’m about ready to wrap this whole kite experience up. I calmly give them a “five minute warning” at which point Alana realizes she has not yet swung on the swings. Seeing her, Jacob naturally wants a turn and while I am turning around to help Anarosa untangle the kites, Alana lets go of the plastic swing, which immediately hits Jacob in the face and gives him a bloody nose.
So the next time you’re watching Mary Poppins and the Banks family skipping merrily down the street, flying their beautiful kites in the London air, you may now picture me, the mom with the three dollar-store kites, two of which are tucked under my arm, one howling three-year-old with blood covering his face tucked under the other arm, dragging one very sulky five-year-old with one shoe and calling out to a sobbing seven year old who is still trying to “fly the kite to the car.” And you will have the part of domestic bliss that Mary Poppins forgot to mention.
This title immediately makes me think of the last scene in the movie “Mary Poppins”. An idealistic family, whose distant father has now become a bastion of familial attentiveness, skipping arm and arm down a London street singing passionately about the simple pleasures of flying a kite. My own experiences with kites have not been the same.
I arrived home from work yesterday tired, but ready to tackle the challenges of the day. The house was in need of immediate attention, by that of course I mean that lunch was still on the table in all its glory, and someone other than the ants should start cleaning it! I was immediately greeted by three very enthusiastic offspring who had evidently been waiting with baited breath for my very arrival. All of whom were under the impression that I had come home for the express purpose of taking them to the park to fly kites!
“Kites, I said we don’t have any kites!” (I know this because I purposefully did NOT buy them kites at the grocery store the last time we were there – but I digress)Yes, Kites, and then I spied the kites, my mother-in-law had included in their Easter baskets…….Well, as a parent this is the moment of decision. Do I crush their eager faces and give in to the mundane demands of housekeeping and the social pressures of maintaining at least a “presentable” house, or do we through cleanliness to the wind and head off arm and arm down the street singing the praises of high and holy motherhood? Well the first I must admit. After trying diplomatically to come up with several excuses as to why Mommy didn’t think it was a good idea to go to the park today, and explaining multiple times how I didn’t think that flying them on our deck (beneath the pine tree) was a good idea, I finally succumbed to the fall back position: “why did your dad tell you I would do it anyway.” This not being entirely fair since Mark took off the minute I got home to go finish the maintenance at the apartment buildings. (He also left before I could see if he was smirking, so generous as I am I will give him the benefit of the doubt)
Well after 20 minutes of stalling and furious cleaning on my part, and 20 minutes of whining and crying on theirs we finally grabbed the keys and the kites and headed to the car. (okay 20 minutes of cleaning and whining and 15 minutes finding shoes, but you get the idea).
After settling everybody in, and buckling about 500 safety buckles, we are finally on the road, and I am feeling immensely proud of the parent I have become! We are being spontaneous, I am responding to the call of childhood. So, we reach the park whereupon I realize that I have three children and three kite packages, but not enough parts to construct three kites! So after some very interesting negotiating we decide how to divide two working kites between three very avid kite flyers.
Now the hard part. I had naively assumed that being an adult of average intelligence I would be able to assemble a child’s kite. But alas, this was not to be. We finally constructed something very much like a kite, but at this juncture Anarosa decided it was finished and ran into the wind. It never really flew, but she had fun and only got it caught in two separate trees. The next kite was put together much more easily, but unfortunately with little more success. It however was also fun to run around the empty field with. It was a very windy day and we were right off of the shore, so thankfully the kites were always “flying” just never more than about four feet off the ground. Jacob and Alana took turns with the other kite and Anarosa took turns instructing them in the art of kite flying (which consisted of “This way! This way! Not that way!) After the first thrill of flying the kites was over, we began to squabble over turns and why they weren’t flying and anything else we could manage to squabble over. The kites of course at this point are intertwined and Jacob wanders off to the playground to slide on the slide.
Since I’m about ready to wrap this whole kite experience up. I calmly give them a “five minute warning” at which point Alana realizes she has not yet swung on the swings. Seeing her, Jacob naturally wants a turn and while I am turning around to help Anarosa untangle the kites, Alana lets go of the plastic swing, which immediately hits Jacob in the face and gives him a bloody nose.
So the next time you’re watching Mary Poppins and the Banks family skipping merrily down the street, flying their beautiful kites in the London air, you may now picture me, the mom with the three dollar-store kites, two of which are tucked under my arm, one howling three-year-old with blood covering his face tucked under the other arm, dragging one very sulky five-year-old with one shoe and calling out to a sobbing seven year old who is still trying to “fly the kite to the car.” And you will have the part of domestic bliss that Mary Poppins forgot to mention.
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