Days Like Today…

// 6.9.05 // Filed under: Parenting

Days like today make me want to stay home and be a hermit.

After having only one child for six years, adding another to the mix is as challenging as it is joyful. I love seeing them interact. C squealing with delight as L chases a ball across the kitchen floor. L cracking up as C pulls his hair and grabs his face with a spit-covered hand.

But it’s tough when we’re out, L is having a great time, and I need to pull him home because C needs a nap. Of course, there are many times I just ignore her need for a nap. And we all pay for it the rest of the day – sometimes two or three days – until she gets back on track.

Today we left the house to go to the gym (yay me!) and it was just about time for C to take a nap. Oh well, she’ll sleep in the car, right? Nope. So we dropped her at the gym nursery, where she tortured the poor women working there for the next 25 minutes or so. Then L & I went to the track to run. It’s his new favorite thing and I am encouraging it.

Well, some uptight woman on the track runs up next to me and says “Excuse me. The sign says children have to be 14 years old to run the track. I think it’s an insurance issue or something.” Really. I was about to tell her where she could stick her insurance issue, but unfortunately, my son overheard and went running for the door. As I’ve mentioned, he’s very sensitive. So we went out and I explained to him that this woman does not work there and has no right to tell us what to do. Then we went to the front desk and I asked to speak to a manager. I asked her if it was OK for my son to be on the track with me as long as it was not crowded and he was not being disruptive. She said yes. But my son was still a little anxious. I just hope that bitch on the track didn’t scare his interest away.

After the gym we’re off to an Ice Cream Social with some homeschoolers in our area. It’s like 100 degrees out, C is hot, tired and hungry (and so am I for that matter), AND I didn’t even get a good workout thanks to the gym bitch. L gets his bowl of mush (covered with sprinkles and cherries) and eats while I try to soothe my chubby, sweaty, thrashing daughter. “Damn, I’m not even gonna get any ice cream,” I’m thinking.

L wants to play longer on the playground, but I’ve gotta draw the line. We head toward home, completely forgetting that I put in an online grocery order that I was supposed to pick up after the Ice Cream Social. Luckily, I didn’t get too far home before remembering. And Cs fell asleep as soon as the car started to move.

Heavy sigh. I’m exhausted. On a day like today, I just shoulda stayed home.

Share or Save: