Wordless Wednesday

(Mimi at age 6)

Grounded!

My kids are amazingly sweet, funny, smart, kind, generous and thoughtful.  It's a shame that they have both been behaving in a manner that casts an unfortunate shadow over those lovely attributes and required extreme measures to be taken in the name of: Grounding. 

This weekend both of my children were subjected to the "in your room and don't come out" variety of punishment.  To be fair I did feed them and allowed them to use the facilities.  I also permitted them to watch TV ever so briefly to witness the Space Jump yesterday as I felt that was educational.  See?  I'm not THAT mean!

I did not even plan to have their friends come to ask them out to play just so that I could gleefully decline the invitation on their behalf.  It just worked out that this happened not once but twice.  These occurrences caused both of their faces to get stuck like this:

We did get a lot accomplished, though.  They had to do their requisite reading for school, complete workbooks at their grade level, clean out drawers and closets and organize toys.  Yesterday we made a quick trip to Target which may as well have been Disneyland as excited as they were to see civilization.

Finally, they heard me watching Iron Man in my bedroom.  They begged and pleaded with me to let them watch it and I said, "You know that Tony Stark is a genius, right?  Do you know WHY?  He is a genius because HE was a good listener and HE followed directions and HE took school seriously!  When you act like Tony Stark, you will be able to watch Iron Man again."  What I didn't count on was Max then moving around my bedroom a la Iron Man. 

Nice try, but .... Denied!

Wordless Wednesday

[Photo by Heather Beauchamp]

School is Cruel?

Mimi loves to make fun of me do imitations of me.  She will put on my glasses and start talking like me.  It's quite hilarious and is really justified payback for the years of making fun of doing imitations of my own mother. 

Well there is one way my daughter is nothing like me.  All who know me is aware that I am an avid reader.  Mimi, however, acts like she's being subjected to cruel acts of torture when it is time to read her chapter for the night.  I'm talking thrown herself on the floor, stomping feet, tears streaming and shouts of "IT'S NOT FAIR!" 

 

Seriously... have you ever seen someone look that miserable while reading? 

Sleeping giant

Max fell asleep on the couch this evening while I was in Mimi's room. When I found him there, I carefully picked him up and carried him to bed. It's what any parent would do, right?

Wrong.

Little dude had a nuclear level meltdown asking - no, demanding - that I put him back where I found him.

I was so taken aback by his commanding tone that I actually did as I was told, and fast.... So the important thing is he is asleep, right?

Right!

The Power of YES!

Last night I spoke to Max (who is with his father this week) and right as we're about to hang up he asks "Mama, can you bring me my bowling pin water bottle?"  

Did he need it?  No.

Was he going to see me (and the water bottle) the following night when he is with me?  Yes.

Could this have waited one night?  Yes.

Why did I say yes?

Because when Max asked me to bring what he has no attachment to or immediate need for what he was really saying is "I miss you, Mommy. I need to see you." 

How can I say no to that?

It is important to go beyond the words and actions of a child to discover the true meaning of what they are trying to say.


My children will never be an inconvenience and seeing the bright smiles on both my kid's faces as they ran to my car where we shared hugs and kisses in a profound and mutual expression of love is always going to be worth my time.

Lucky Number Seven

Max just celebrated his 7th birthday.  Before we begin you all need to know that he and his sister are being raised by a woman who never ever ever had a birthday party.  Not even a Sweet Sixteen.  *le sigh*  Soooooo to compensate for the childhood trauma their mother *coughs*me*coughs* experienced, she throws fabulous birthday parties for her children.  MTV should really come document these events.  No, but seriously... they should.  

I kid... I kid...

These parties are simply about making fun memories and being sure that no matter what they're eventually in therapy for they will never be able to blame me for not throwing them birthday parties.  So a party we had.  This year: BOWLING!

Max's beloved friend Dagny was in attendance.  I always contact her mother before finalizing any plans to be sure she can come because a party isn't a party if his sweet friend isn't there celebrating with him. 

Look at those smiles.  That's genuine 1,000 watts of happiness right there.  Oh and the outfit my kid is wearing?  He chose the entire thing himself.  I know... It was inevitable he be that cool with me as his mother. *grins*

Back to the party.... So who knew Max could actually bowl?  I didn't. 

This year's theme was Spongebob Squarepants.

Unfortunately Max didn't get to enjoy any birthday cake because he got sick at the bowling alley.  He did recover enough to be able to fully enjoy everyone singing to him before he blew out his candles.

Then we went home where Max was genuinely overwhelmed by all the presents his friends gifted him with.  It was clear that they know him well as he received all his favorite things:

He was a very happy birthday boy.