Tag: sad

children, gratitude, kids, kindergarten, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

Happy Face

WFAM

I am getting better at the kindergarten drop-off.  Full Speed  is still doing awesome with it.  He even does silly things to try to make me laugh (like putting his backpack on his head or doing a funny dance) as he walks towards the doors of school.

Even though it is going swimmingly, my heart still aches as I have to leave him there.  Without realizing this morning, I inhaled sharply and let out a long, slow breath as I watched Full Speed get out of the truck.

T.Puzzle, who seems to have inherited some of my highly empathic genes, immediatlely asks, “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

It shocked me back into the present moment.  I was stunned that my three year old picked up on this and a reminder that little eyes and ears are always watching.

“Oh, T.Puzzle, sometimes Mommy gets sad when I have to drop Full Speed at kindergarten.  I miss him and I miss you while you are at school.”

“It’s okay, Mommy.  Put on your happy face, okay?”

So, I did.  Thanks, T.Puzzle.

Related Articles
children, happiness, humor, kindergarten, life in pictures, mommyhood

Buckle-up for Kindergarten

WFAM

Kindergarten D-day has arrived. There was so much traffic, confusion and general chaos that I forgot to be sad (mostly). I became single-minded in my focus to get Full Speed safely to his classroom.

It helped tremendously that Full Speed kept chanting, ‘this is gonna be the best year!’. If my kid was that excited about his new kindergarten adventure, who was I to argue?

Once I had us successfully navigated to Full Speed’s room, I felt slightly less overwhelmed. Again, I was thankful for my boys’ and their gregarious natures. Full Speed promptly found his cubby, deposited his Spider-man backpack and set to work coloring a picture at his desk. T.Puzzle pulled up a chair and sat down at the front of the class. Apparently he thought he’d like to start kindergarten, too.

Overall, a winning experience. There is still the labyrinthian system of elementary school drop-off and pick-up to overcome. Each day will get better I suppose. Either that or I am seriously considering giving Full Speed the keys to my truck and wishing him all the best. All I ask is that he keep the tank full and always, always wear his seatbelt.

children, gratitude, mommyhood

Stick With You

WFAM

An eerie silence has fallen over my house. We’ve had such a bustle of visitors and activity that now it almost seems like we are living in a library. I’m having a hard time cleaning up all the baby toys and baby stuff. I’m missing my family terribly.

Full Speed was in caretaker mode this morning (it helps because he got about 13 hours of sleep). He takes his role seriously as ‘man of the house’ when Mad Dog is out of town. He noticed Baby D’s high chair was still at the table this morning (I didn’t have the heart to fold it away yet). I told him I sure felt sad that his cousins had left and that I would miss them.

“Mom,” he said, “T.Puzzle and I are still here and you can see us everyday so you won’t ever miss us.”

“Thanks, Full Speed, that makes me feel better. I’m glad I get to see you both every day,” I responded. I love when threads of empathy come through Full Speed’s words. It makes me feel like maybe I’m doing my job right.

Another life skill we are working on in our house is ‘sticking with it’. That means whatever Mommy gives you, you say “thank you, ma’am, it’s exactly what I wanted.” For instance, I’ll give the boys a couple choices for snack and if they can’t decide, they have to be happy with whatever Mom puts in front of them. Same goes for toys, clothes, tv shows, etc.

As I was preparing breakfast (frozen pancakes gourmet delight), Full Speed asked his little brother if he could remember what Full Speed told Santa he wanted for Christmas. A dutiful T.Puzzle shouts, “Guns and swords!”

Full Speed was impressed he remembered. “Give me a double high T.Puzzle.” T.Puzzle jumps from his chair and slaps his brother’s hands.

Now, as a mother, you can sense that Santa actually giving Full Speed guns and swords for Christmas would be an accident or a gravely endangered T.Puzzle waiting to happen. I tried my best to offset the weaponry violence.

“Hey, Full Speed, what if Santa isn’t able to bring you guns and swords for Christmas? What if he brings you something else but is certain you would really like it?”

“I’d stick with whatever Santa gave me, Mom,” is his automatic reply.

“I’m sticking with you, kid,” is mine.

children, eyesight, loss of parent, mommyhood

Bad Aim

WFAM

I have to take Full Speed for another follow-up at my home away from home (the Children’s Clinic). I must admit my stress level has been through the roof. It is wearing on me to take him to all these appointments. He can sense I’m stressed so he acts out

Regardless, it went well. I should be jumping for joy. Yet, he hasn’t achieved 20/20 vision. I should be counting my blessings that his vision is equal in both eyes (holding steady at 20/60) but part of me wants to scream out in frustration. Enough already! Where’s the 20/20 vision? As a Mom I think I am allowed at least a day or two of disappointment. It’s my child’s vision for goodness sake. I want nothing but the best.

Of course my frame of mind is all off. I talked to my sister, Skee, beforehand and we are futilely attempting to see each other before the year’s end. We have too many constraints with jobs, schools and other extenuating circumstances. We both desperately want to see each other because we are dreading this holiday season like none other. Without our Mom here I think we would both prefer to skip right through to 2010.

Now, I’m at home with both boys as we are at day’s end. I have repeatedly sent them to their rooms because they can’t seem to get along. I think they know Mom is upset so that makes them act all the crazier. It’s a vicious, vicious cycle. Would it be bad if I just left them upstairs until Mad Dog or morning arrives?

I will forge ahead and continue to prepare my gourmet (is Shake ‘n’ Bake gourmet?) dinner and sit down with my two little men to partake. I need to tell them Mommy is having a bad day. I figure if I put my feelings out on the table I can’t possibly make it any worse, right?

green beansSo, we sit down to eat and I say, “Mommy’s having a rough day, she misses Grandma and feels sad.” The response? Full Speed announces he has something in his teeth and T.Puzzle smears mashed potatoes on his head. Not exactly what I was aiming for…..potato head