You know your mothering skills have reached a new low when you make your son cry on his birthday. I know, I’m a lout. I got home last night from class to discover that instead of the highly practical bike we had discussed, McKay chose to buy a hundred dollars’ worth of toys for his present. My immediate response when greeted with this news – to yell “Are you kidding me?!!!” – was probably not the best way to handle things, which I say in retrospect because it made McKay cry although it was truly instinctual and I’d like to think I’m not accountable for things I say while in a state of total shell shock. I apologized to McKay for getting upset and reminded him (and myself) that it was his birthday and I hoped he would have lots of fun with his new toys, which by the way, include:
1) A remote control backhoe as big as a dog with realistic construction noises and NO (believe me I’ve looked) volume control. The only thing we need less than more toys in our home is more noise.
2) A remote control airplane that within 1 hour of arriving in our home was already stuck so far up in a pine tree it required professional extraction with a 15-foot extension ladder and a 6-foot father bearing a 7-foot piece of wood trim. This morning, against my advice, which was (and I quote): “let’s all wait until Nora wakes up and go to the park to fly it,” the boys took the plane out for a spin in the cul-de-sac and within 2 minutes had lost it somewhere over the neighbors’ roofs. A rescue expedition ensued which, to everyone’s great relief, recovered the plane. The one redeeming outcome of this incident was that when they returned home, Ethan in his best maternal voice, philosophized: “Now what have we all learned from this experience?” and the boys agreed: “Listen to Mom. She’s always right.” I think the gloat mileage alone is worth the 100 bucks.
3) (Heaven help us!) A skateboard. I can see the medical bills accumulating already.
Deep breaths, Julie. Repeat after me: it’s his birthday….it’s his birthday…it’s his birthday.
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10 comments:
Its always somewhat horrifying when they get old enough to decide those things themselves isn't it?
I'm always nervous when they start deciding things for themselves. You got what? And you expect to be able to use that when? and How?
Good luck on the skateboard!
Oh, SO sorry. Those remote control toys---GRRRRRR.
Ha, ha . . . children always do what children will do -- the beauty of it was your children learned the lesson. Sadly, I'm afraid powers of retention rival the length a child's plans.
I tagged you for a really fun meme today; I hope you'll play when you have time!
Skateboard wheels can be "adjusted" to pretty much not spin.
I'm just saying.
You've been tagged on my blogspot. Just go to http://candacesalima.blogspot.com to get the questions. Yeah, you can blame Anne Bradshaw, she's the one who tagged me.
I missed you, Julie.
I've been so out of it for the almost four weeks since my massive foot surgery. I haven't read a blog since then. I'm finally able to put my foot down for more than 5 minutes without all the blood in my body rushing out through my swollen toes! I even missed McKay's b-day. What kind of a grandmother is that? Maybe I can give him some money towards a new bike. You haven't seen any remote control ones, have you?
"Listen to Mom. She's always right." Priceless.
I figure that it's not a birthday/holiday/special event unless someone's received punishment by the end of the day. It's just going to happen. A given.
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