It's that time of year again folks--the time where seemingly educated, successful people decide that despite the fact there is a state wide drought and despite the fact there is a burn ban which means no campfires, and despite the fact that the river is the lowest it has been in years--a real butt bumper, we are going camping.
So that leaves us with the inevitable camping wind-up, a trip to the grocery store and packing the van. And cleaning the house. Lord knows what would happen if we left for vacation and the house was messy. Anyway, H came home early and suggested that we all go to the grocery store. So we went. All four of us. And it was a pretty typical trip. You start out with two contented children, both in the cart. Then one gets fussy and wants out because we went right around the time she likes a nice, 8 ounce bottle. And the other kid, seeing that the first one is all cuddled up in her mother's arms in lieu of the bottle, wants out of the cart. This causes the other kid to want to show us everything that is marketed for kids. "papa, I neeeeeed to show you something...." This causes her father to start to get grumpy and mutter under his breath that he should have gone by himself. This causes me to remind him that this family grocery trip was his idea. Couple of tantrums ensue when papa opts not to see the disney merchandised product. Mama heads over to check it out and finds out it is a "fruit snack" which contains no fruit, and yet magically has vitamins. But because we are going camping, and because H got beer for himself, I tell her she can have the "fruit snack" because I am cool like that. We need deli meat and we get the older guy with the W.C. Fields nose who goes super slow, during which Annabelle's shoes laces (re: curling ribbon which she has attached to her non-shoe lace shoes to make them "pretty") come untied and she comes unglued because it is supper time, she has been at school all day and now she is at the Bunker Hill HEB instead of watching the wonder pets at home while I fix dinner. We go and get the produce and H walks around to get some tomatoes while I get cilantro and Annabelle announces she needs to go to the potty really bad, and it is an emergency. I ask if she can wait until Papa comes back so he can hold Tallulah and she says no, she is going to pee in her pants. So the three of us run to the bathroom. Of course she stops to get a balloon. And then she trips on her "shoe laces" and has a minor crying fit, which is totally understandable. And then she wants to return the balloon, but it is still a potty emergency. We are successful in our bathroom endeavors and head out into the store only to find H checking out. "I can't take it anymore. I don't care if we are missing stuff. This is too much for me. This is what you do, this is your job, but I can't take it anymore." And that is when I realize, he has never been to the grocery store with both girls. He usually goes by himself, because he doesn't like how I dawdle. And I start to laugh. I laugh and laugh and laugh some more. The check out lady and bag boys are laughing with us. I laugh as I go to get a coke from the deli, I laugh as we head out to the car. I laugh as we load the groceries and laugh as we drive home.
Just a typical grocery store trip. For me anyway, not for him.
I am currently smiling.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
mother's day vignettes
1. Taking care of an almost 6 month old.
I have never taken care of an almost 6 month old. When Annabelle was just 3 months old, my maternity leave ended and she went to daycare. She was there every day from 7 in the morning until 6 at night. Miss Mary and Miss Gloria took care of Annabelle. We picked her up played with her for a bit, ate dinner and put her to bed. We saw her for about 3 hours a day. On the weekend, we would run errands and play and take care of her together. So, I didn't realize how much work babies are, especially after they get over their sleepy newborn stage and are in the "let's play" phase. It is all day long. Eat, change diapers, play, nap, play with other kid during nap, cook, clean. Scurry around after everyone is in bed and try to put the house in order. Repeat. I also didn't realize how fast it goes by. We went on a walk the other night, and I saw a mom walking with a newborn strapped to her, and I realized, I could no longer strap Tallulah to my body like that anymore, she is too big, and I was so tremendously sad. And it happened so quickly. She can sit up now. One day she couldn't sit. The next day she sat for a few minutes and then would plop forward. By the afternoon she knew to push herself up with her arms. I got to see it happen. With Annabelle, we would just notice over the weekend "oh wow, she is sitting up," or "wow look at that, she is crawling" and we would tell Miss Mary and Miss Gloria on Monday, "she can sit up now!" or "she can crawl, it is so cute" and they would just smile, and I would realize that they were waiting for her to do it in front of us--they had already seen it. But not this time, this time I am watching it happen, and I am amazed all over again.
2. Getting grandmothered at the home depot
My conversation with the check out elderly lady at the home depot:
old lady: oh what a cute baby, how old is she, should she be sitting up in the cart like that?
Me: Actually she is almost 6 months old
Old lady: she is tiny! (looks at me with concern) she is so small!
Me: well, my mother-in-law is about this tall (gesture to my waist), so we make small babies.
Old lady: well she is cute. Now, what is that on her eye?
me: that is her birthmark.
Old lady(astounded): really? I have never seen one like that.
Me: yeah, it is on her top lid too, and when her eyes are closed it looks like a heart.
Old lady(bossy): is it going to fade or are you going to get it removed?
Me: well, it has faded a bit because it used to be almost black, but it seems to have slowed down a bit.
Old lady in baby talk voice to Tallulah: But she is cute just the same. Yes she is. She is so pretty.
Old lady in serious voice to me: there is something in her a eye. A little piece of something. (I glance down and attempt to wipe one of her eyes) No, it's in her other eye...
I realize she is talking about the chunk of sleep that had been in her eye the entire morning and I began to wonder what it is about old ladies and their kleenex/boogie wiping obsession and was wondering if my mom had somehow body swapped with this lady for a brief second, when she handed me my receipt and said with a smile, "Happy mother's day." And I said "happy mother's day to you too," because it was obvious--she is someone's mom.
3. Heartache
Annabelle has a little friend at school. Her name is E_______. When I pick her up from school and ask her who she plays with She says "with E______" and I say "did you play with anyone else?" And she says "no, just with E_______" The teacher told me that they love each other and from the minute Annabelle arrives they find each other and play and gab all day and there is no room for anyone else in their little world. What do they play, you ask? "We play SHARKS!!!!! The other kids are sharks and E______ is the captain. I am the lookout and we [shot] them down!!!!!" But this Thursday when I picked her up she said, "I am sad. E______ doesn't want to be my best friend anymore." I made some more inquiries and found out that Annabelle tried to play with E______ but she just walked away and played with another girl. And Annabelle played by herself. I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut. I considered calling the school and finding out what happened, I considered calling E_______'s mom and demanding to know what the hell was wrong with her daughter, I was frantic for a minute. My happy daughter, who can make friends with a block, who doesn't know a stranger and who loves E______, was shunned. And then I called my mom. She listened for a bit. And then she said quietly, "yes, your children will break your heart many times. This won't be the last time." Then she proceeded to tell me some long and boring story about how I missed out on gifted and talented by just one point, "I mean, I know they have to have cut-offs, but it was just one point and that awful red-headed Lori Walters made it...." and I stopped listening.
3. my mother's day blessing to you
Happy mother's day to all the moms out there. May your diaper bag always have wipes for the blow outs, bandaids for the boo-boo's, and stale goldfish in a zippie bag for the snack emergencies. May your refrigerator always be covered with magnets and artwork and have a Popsicles in the freezer. May your minivan be filled with dirty sippy cups and spilled milkshakes and glitter. May your bed always have room enough in the middle of the night for a little one and may you have patience enough the next morning to cuddle up and watch dinosaur train. May your children's hands always be sticky, may they always smell like sunshine, may they dance through the sprinkler in their underwear and oh, that you can enjoy it all, though you may be tired, though you may be weary, may you enjoy it all. May you always get sweet coos and smiles, and may you always be given the last Ariel bandaid to cover your boo-boo. May you be loved and adored by the people you love and adore the most.
Happy Mother's Day.
I have never taken care of an almost 6 month old. When Annabelle was just 3 months old, my maternity leave ended and she went to daycare. She was there every day from 7 in the morning until 6 at night. Miss Mary and Miss Gloria took care of Annabelle. We picked her up played with her for a bit, ate dinner and put her to bed. We saw her for about 3 hours a day. On the weekend, we would run errands and play and take care of her together. So, I didn't realize how much work babies are, especially after they get over their sleepy newborn stage and are in the "let's play" phase. It is all day long. Eat, change diapers, play, nap, play with other kid during nap, cook, clean. Scurry around after everyone is in bed and try to put the house in order. Repeat. I also didn't realize how fast it goes by. We went on a walk the other night, and I saw a mom walking with a newborn strapped to her, and I realized, I could no longer strap Tallulah to my body like that anymore, she is too big, and I was so tremendously sad. And it happened so quickly. She can sit up now. One day she couldn't sit. The next day she sat for a few minutes and then would plop forward. By the afternoon she knew to push herself up with her arms. I got to see it happen. With Annabelle, we would just notice over the weekend "oh wow, she is sitting up," or "wow look at that, she is crawling" and we would tell Miss Mary and Miss Gloria on Monday, "she can sit up now!" or "she can crawl, it is so cute" and they would just smile, and I would realize that they were waiting for her to do it in front of us--they had already seen it. But not this time, this time I am watching it happen, and I am amazed all over again.
2. Getting grandmothered at the home depot
My conversation with the check out elderly lady at the home depot:
old lady: oh what a cute baby, how old is she, should she be sitting up in the cart like that?
Me: Actually she is almost 6 months old
Old lady: she is tiny! (looks at me with concern) she is so small!
Me: well, my mother-in-law is about this tall (gesture to my waist), so we make small babies.
Old lady: well she is cute. Now, what is that on her eye?
me: that is her birthmark.
Old lady(astounded): really? I have never seen one like that.
Me: yeah, it is on her top lid too, and when her eyes are closed it looks like a heart.
Old lady(bossy): is it going to fade or are you going to get it removed?
Me: well, it has faded a bit because it used to be almost black, but it seems to have slowed down a bit.
Old lady in baby talk voice to Tallulah: But she is cute just the same. Yes she is. She is so pretty.
Old lady in serious voice to me: there is something in her a eye. A little piece of something. (I glance down and attempt to wipe one of her eyes) No, it's in her other eye...
I realize she is talking about the chunk of sleep that had been in her eye the entire morning and I began to wonder what it is about old ladies and their kleenex/boogie wiping obsession and was wondering if my mom had somehow body swapped with this lady for a brief second, when she handed me my receipt and said with a smile, "Happy mother's day." And I said "happy mother's day to you too," because it was obvious--she is someone's mom.
3. Heartache
Annabelle has a little friend at school. Her name is E_______. When I pick her up from school and ask her who she plays with She says "with E______" and I say "did you play with anyone else?" And she says "no, just with E_______" The teacher told me that they love each other and from the minute Annabelle arrives they find each other and play and gab all day and there is no room for anyone else in their little world. What do they play, you ask? "We play SHARKS!!!!! The other kids are sharks and E______ is the captain. I am the lookout and we [shot] them down!!!!!" But this Thursday when I picked her up she said, "I am sad. E______ doesn't want to be my best friend anymore." I made some more inquiries and found out that Annabelle tried to play with E______ but she just walked away and played with another girl. And Annabelle played by herself. I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut. I considered calling the school and finding out what happened, I considered calling E_______'s mom and demanding to know what the hell was wrong with her daughter, I was frantic for a minute. My happy daughter, who can make friends with a block, who doesn't know a stranger and who loves E______, was shunned. And then I called my mom. She listened for a bit. And then she said quietly, "yes, your children will break your heart many times. This won't be the last time." Then she proceeded to tell me some long and boring story about how I missed out on gifted and talented by just one point, "I mean, I know they have to have cut-offs, but it was just one point and that awful red-headed Lori Walters made it...." and I stopped listening.
3. my mother's day blessing to you
Happy mother's day to all the moms out there. May your diaper bag always have wipes for the blow outs, bandaids for the boo-boo's, and stale goldfish in a zippie bag for the snack emergencies. May your refrigerator always be covered with magnets and artwork and have a Popsicles in the freezer. May your minivan be filled with dirty sippy cups and spilled milkshakes and glitter. May your bed always have room enough in the middle of the night for a little one and may you have patience enough the next morning to cuddle up and watch dinosaur train. May your children's hands always be sticky, may they always smell like sunshine, may they dance through the sprinkler in their underwear and oh, that you can enjoy it all, though you may be tired, though you may be weary, may you enjoy it all. May you always get sweet coos and smiles, and may you always be given the last Ariel bandaid to cover your boo-boo. May you be loved and adored by the people you love and adore the most.
Happy Mother's Day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)