Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
You win some, you lose some. I got a great deal on a double stroller that I love and had a great time with my family today. My child is not a perfect angel, nor am I. That is what's beautiful about life. Imperfection is beautiful. It's what makes every day exciting and unpredictable.
It all began when the beast arrived. The Graco FastAction Fold Double Duo Click Connect Stroller. I apologize for the ridiculously long name. When I dragged that thing to the middle of the living room, my heart started pumping; my hands started clamming. I pinned my loose hairs out of my face and ripped the box apart. I explained to Maddox that this was serious.
I unpacked that beast with fierce concentration. Four wheels, 2 brakes, a random pole, 2 washers, 2 weird clips, 2 canopies, 2 cup holders. With complete obedience to the 'Get Started' portion of the manual, I sailed through and built the dual child rocket ship in 15 minutes. I practiced closing it. Then, opening it. Inserting the car seat. Taking it out. Life is good.
Grandma took Maddox, 3, to the car, while I loaded up Everett, 4 months. I opened my trunk with pride, loving its size. The stroller fit nicely. Life is good.
Waters- check. Diaper bag stocked- check. Beverages- check.
We snag a great parking space in the shade of the garage and venture to The Florida Aquarium. Everett is asleep the entire time. No fussing, no whining. Maddox is genuinely interested in the aquatic scene, and so am I. Life is good.
The stroller is moving and grooving through the crowd with no problem. It's light, turns on a dime, dual canopies, ample storage. Wow, I'm really a great, informed, investigative shopper, I think to myself. My ego is getting ahead of me.
We venture to the wet play area outside. Maddox joins the other children in the sandbox. He steals a bucket out of a girl's hand while simultaneously saying "Thank you." Five minutes later he randomly throws a wad of sand at her back. Things are getting awkward.
Everettti s still sleeping soundly in the stroller with Grandma supervising.
Maddox and I make our way to the massive pirate ship. He steals the water gun right out of a boy's hand. I warn him and he acquiesces. Life is good.
We move on the dual water slides. As he sits next to a small, petite Hispanic girl, he looks her dead in the eye and says in the jerkiest voice ever, "You're stinky." My jaw hits the wet, spongey floor.
Again, I divert my son's attention and we move on to the water shooting out of the ground. I turn the corner for one second to check on Everett and catch something out of the corner of my eye. Maddox has a child by his hideous water shoe and the stranger falls to his elbow. His mother, with a disgusted look of horror, picks her son up off the ground, tending to him. I rush up to Maddox and he runs smiling, far away from me. Once I catch up to him I explain why it's wrong to abuse strangers and he basically gives me the middle finger.
Ok, time to go. Everett is waking up and now Maddox is a criminal. He runs, wet, to the sandbox. The sand sticks to every inch of his wet body. I explain to him that it's time to go and give him a warning. Again, he shakes it off. I smile and run after him and grab him and swing him over my shoulder. Every adult is laughing at us. I actually appreciate it. I'd much rather people laugh (at or with me) than sneer in disapproval of my parenting skills.
I rinse him off and head to the changing room to put him in dry clothes.
That's when in the quiet and darkness of that dank room he says---F*ck. This is not a joke. My child just said the F word. How does he properly know how to use that word? Ok, ok. How does he even know that word???
Disclaimer- I can promise you, we do not use that word in our house. Maybe privately, around adults, it has been uttered. But, honestly, we don't curse.
Anyhow, we still had a beautiful day. I started off all cocky because things were going my way for a change, but then reality set in. My child didn't listen to me a couple of time, stole, battered, and cursed. But, I constantly have to remind myself--he is a child. He just turned 3 years old! I can't expect him to be perfect and I can't beat myself up every time he doesn't hit the mark. He is learning every day and so am I.
It all began when the beast arrived. The Graco FastAction Fold Double Duo Click Connect Stroller. I apologize for the ridiculously long name. When I dragged that thing to the middle of the living room, my heart started pumping; my hands started clamming. I pinned my loose hairs out of my face and ripped the box apart. I explained to Maddox that this was serious.
I unpacked that beast with fierce concentration. Four wheels, 2 brakes, a random pole, 2 washers, 2 weird clips, 2 canopies, 2 cup holders. With complete obedience to the 'Get Started' portion of the manual, I sailed through and built the dual child rocket ship in 15 minutes. I practiced closing it. Then, opening it. Inserting the car seat. Taking it out. Life is good.
Grandma took Maddox, 3, to the car, while I loaded up Everett, 4 months. I opened my trunk with pride, loving its size. The stroller fit nicely. Life is good.
Waters- check. Diaper bag stocked- check. Beverages- check.
We snag a great parking space in the shade of the garage and venture to The Florida Aquarium. Everett is asleep the entire time. No fussing, no whining. Maddox is genuinely interested in the aquatic scene, and so am I. Life is good.
The stroller is moving and grooving through the crowd with no problem. It's light, turns on a dime, dual canopies, ample storage. Wow, I'm really a great, informed, investigative shopper, I think to myself. My ego is getting ahead of me.
We venture to the wet play area outside. Maddox joins the other children in the sandbox. He steals a bucket out of a girl's hand while simultaneously saying "Thank you." Five minutes later he randomly throws a wad of sand at her back. Things are getting awkward.
Everettti s still sleeping soundly in the stroller with Grandma supervising.
Maddox and I make our way to the massive pirate ship. He steals the water gun right out of a boy's hand. I warn him and he acquiesces. Life is good.
We move on the dual water slides. As he sits next to a small, petite Hispanic girl, he looks her dead in the eye and says in the jerkiest voice ever, "You're stinky." My jaw hits the wet, spongey floor.
Again, I divert my son's attention and we move on to the water shooting out of the ground. I turn the corner for one second to check on Everett and catch something out of the corner of my eye. Maddox has a child by his hideous water shoe and the stranger falls to his elbow. His mother, with a disgusted look of horror, picks her son up off the ground, tending to him. I rush up to Maddox and he runs smiling, far away from me. Once I catch up to him I explain why it's wrong to abuse strangers and he basically gives me the middle finger.
Ok, time to go. Everett is waking up and now Maddox is a criminal. He runs, wet, to the sandbox. The sand sticks to every inch of his wet body. I explain to him that it's time to go and give him a warning. Again, he shakes it off. I smile and run after him and grab him and swing him over my shoulder. Every adult is laughing at us. I actually appreciate it. I'd much rather people laugh (at or with me) than sneer in disapproval of my parenting skills.
I rinse him off and head to the changing room to put him in dry clothes.
That's when in the quiet and darkness of that dank room he says---F*ck. This is not a joke. My child just said the F word. How does he properly know how to use that word? Ok, ok. How does he even know that word???
Disclaimer- I can promise you, we do not use that word in our house. Maybe privately, around adults, it has been uttered. But, honestly, we don't curse.
Anyhow, we still had a beautiful day. I started off all cocky because things were going my way for a change, but then reality set in. My child didn't listen to me a couple of time, stole, battered, and cursed. But, I constantly have to remind myself--he is a child. He just turned 3 years old! I can't expect him to be perfect and I can't beat myself up every time he doesn't hit the mark. He is learning every day and so am I.
Comments
Post a Comment