Our family went camping last weekend. My husband was having a hard time being patient waiting in the one-lane line to get into the campground as one individual either waved you through or sold you an entrance sticker. Our second time into the campground that day had us waiting again. As soon as the car ahead of us took off, Paris yelled out the window "Bye bye Pickle Suckers!" Afte laughing our faces off, we scrambled to think of how she came up with that one and whether anyone heard our 4 year old say that. Then it came to me - she hates pickles, and her sisters love them. So the people in front of us that were making us wait were people who not only ate pickles but must have savored the foul food also.
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"Mama, Tucker is in my class. This summer I am taking the bull by the horns and being proactive with the "We have nothing to do" problem all mothers have while their children are home from school. We have 2 "guaranteed lock" fun days (which can be un-locked with bad behavior). For us it is one pool day at grandma's and one day at a park, zoo, museum, etc. My plan further extends to the days we don't have anything planned and they say there is nothing to do. I pull out large pieces of paper and tell them to make a map of where we have been or draw their favorite part of the last fun day. How many You Knows can you come up with? I challenge you... I have very low blood pressure, so low that at a doctor's apt. a couple of weeks ago the nurse could not find my pulse. But, nothing gets my blood pressure to the "in danger of having a heart attack" level than slow drivers! This week, three times as I passed the "eldural parrallel" (you know, every area has one, where young meets old, where rural meets ruraler) I got stuck behind some yahoo who apparently had nowhere to go and made me late!, to VBS. Now, I can't get too upset on the way to drop my kids off at VBS (at a church in the boondocks) because that would kind of ruin the whole reason for sending them, but when it happens again on the way back! Well, my kids can get saved again tomorrow. (I'm sorry I know that's not how it works, was highly inappropriate and very flippant) But, as I was explaining to my kids that Mama is not mad, she's just really frustrated and the person in front of her can't hear her - it struck me, it is the slow driver that is rude and inconsiderate. They may not have anywhere to go, but the people behind them do, and have planned their trip by how quickly they would get there by the speed limit, or some may count on 10, maybe 20 over the speed limit - I'm not naming names, I'm just throwing it out there. Maybe I feel this way because I'm one of those lead-footed-impatient-Berg people, but, come on there need to be far more tickets for driving slow! 1. Apparently I complain too much because when I said "I am going to throw up" she replied "No, Mama's don't throw up they just about to throw up." After being told to calm down with her little brother and ignoring the warning, I pulled Paris' hands off of her brother. Forgetting herself she swatted me on the arm and then looked up at me in horror. I gasped and was about to start the lecture and hand out punishment, when Paris put her tiny hand over my mouth and said, "Don't say a word." Since Spring is coming and there are sure to be many rainy days, I will be posting Rainy Day Ideas. My girls craft/project addicts, anything they can cut or glue makes them happy. This morning I had a wake up call of sorts, a wake-up call with no sound. My 3 year old, Paris had a hard time waking up due to the time change and losing an hour. I had been up in the middle of the night with Jack and tired myself. Jack was crying so I got him up and peeked my head in Paris' room to ask her to come downstairs. "Oh can you carry me?" she crustily cried. "No, I'm already carrying Jack, come on you can do it." "Oh will you hold my hand down the stairs?", she requested. "Sure, I can do that." We got downstairs and I asked her to get dressed while I got Jack changed and fed. Paris continued to whine and cry, not budging from where she had plopped herself on the couch. After a little coaxing and a few threats she finally got dressed while very noisily protesting. Then it was time to eat and she didn't like the way it was prepared, how you go wrong with Fruit Loops (again I was tired and not worried about nutrition) I'll never know. At this point she had been fortold her future of going back upstairs to bed and maybe her bum smarting a little on the way if she didn't eat. And again I was distracted by making lunches. Then I noticed the noise had stopped. I looked over in Paris' direction and I see her face - happiness, tears gone, a smile travelling from ear to ear. Her sister Elise was giving her a big bear hug, arms wrapped all the way around her, holding her tight - not saying a word. As the day has progressed, I reflect on this more and my failure to see what Paris needed the moment she awoke so tired. I have had to ask how did Ellse know what she needed? The answer to that disturbs me more. Elise is our 6 year old who is a year behind her twin in school due to health and developmental challenges, she is a bright little girl but has trouble expressing her emotions properly sometimes if at all. Aaron and I often realize she may be left out or left behind at times. She is the most generous soul who won't demand what she needs. She once (at 4) gave a whole pack of Smarties, with tears in her eyes not saying a word, to her her little sister who dropped hers - because that is what she thought I meant by "can you share some". And now today I find myself remembering all the times she has come into the kitchen to watch me cook and I tell her to back up from the heat - cause the girl just doesn't have spacial understanding - but I don't hug her or ask her to keep talking to me from a distance. Or the times she comes and just stands next to me and stares at me with those big brown eyes with nothing really that makes sense to say and I really don't know what she wants but I'm a little uncomfortable with how close she's standing to me. I think she showed me today by her own empathy what she so badly needs. I can tell you there is one little Kindergartener who is going to get a huge bear hug herself today round about 12:05 PM when school gets out and hopefully everytime she needs to be near me. 1. If it looks like poop on the floor it probobly is |
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