Sometime toward the end of last week, I caught a cold. Nothing major, just some nose-gunk and a sore throat along with the aches and pains associated with a virus. Of course, the kids got it... which has led to many a sleepless night and countless tantrums.
This morning it was mostly Reef, crying and crawling backward around the living room on his belly (this is what he does when he throws a fit). However, as the morning wore into afternoon, Kai's sunny demeanor darkened and a rain cloud seemed to hover over her brow. The Storm was coming.
"Would you like a hot dog with cheese and veggies for lunch?" I asked, cheerfully.
"Sure," came the reply. So, off to the kitchen I went to prepare the vittles. Moments later, I set a plate of hot dog pitas with ketchup, steamed carrots and broccoli and diced cheddar in front of the toddler.
"I don't want hot dogs. I want peanut butter and jelly!" said she of the fickle and discriminating pallet.
"You said you wanted hot dogs. Peanut butter and jelly are taking the day off," I explained.
After much back and forth and cheerful attempts at presentation, she sat at the table munching on carrots and licking the hot dogs, saying, "yuck!" after each lick. Noting that she had my attention, she popped one in her mouth and then promptly spit it out with a messy raspberry.
"Please don't spit; you're getting spit on my plate and that's not nice," I cautioned. She leaned over the table and spit right into my plate, in reply.
Okay.
I abruptly picked her up and whisked her off to her bed, explained that it was nap time and went back to my saliva-coated meal. The Storm broke loose with a thundering cry... Lightening, high winds and much screaming ripped through the house. I pretended not to notice and continued with my lunch until The Storm made her way to my lap, sobbing. She reached out and took a carrot from my plate and took a bite.
"If you eat two bites of hot dog, I'll make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."
"Okay."
Should I have made the peanut butter and jelly sandwich to begin with or did we have to go through that entire process to learn some kind of valuable lesson? What was the lesson... and who learned it? Me, or Kai?
Where is my user manual? Shouldn't this thing called Parenthood come with instructions?
This morning it was mostly Reef, crying and crawling backward around the living room on his belly (this is what he does when he throws a fit). However, as the morning wore into afternoon, Kai's sunny demeanor darkened and a rain cloud seemed to hover over her brow. The Storm was coming.
"Would you like a hot dog with cheese and veggies for lunch?" I asked, cheerfully.
"Sure," came the reply. So, off to the kitchen I went to prepare the vittles. Moments later, I set a plate of hot dog pitas with ketchup, steamed carrots and broccoli and diced cheddar in front of the toddler.
"I don't want hot dogs. I want peanut butter and jelly!" said she of the fickle and discriminating pallet.
"You said you wanted hot dogs. Peanut butter and jelly are taking the day off," I explained.
After much back and forth and cheerful attempts at presentation, she sat at the table munching on carrots and licking the hot dogs, saying, "yuck!" after each lick. Noting that she had my attention, she popped one in her mouth and then promptly spit it out with a messy raspberry.
"Please don't spit; you're getting spit on my plate and that's not nice," I cautioned. She leaned over the table and spit right into my plate, in reply.
Okay.
I abruptly picked her up and whisked her off to her bed, explained that it was nap time and went back to my saliva-coated meal. The Storm broke loose with a thundering cry... Lightening, high winds and much screaming ripped through the house. I pretended not to notice and continued with my lunch until The Storm made her way to my lap, sobbing. She reached out and took a carrot from my plate and took a bite.
"If you eat two bites of hot dog, I'll make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."
"Okay."
Should I have made the peanut butter and jelly sandwich to begin with or did we have to go through that entire process to learn some kind of valuable lesson? What was the lesson... and who learned it? Me, or Kai?
Where is my user manual? Shouldn't this thing called Parenthood come with instructions?
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