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Mean Mommy

Or, “Why my Sudoku book smells like a strawberry frappucino.”

I made both kids cry today. It didn’t take much effort.

As we were leaving the house to take Ane to school this morning, Tad was bound and determined to take the largest car he owns with him – the police car that Uncle Captain gave him last Christmas. When I firmly told him “no” and put it out of his reach, he began to cry. Tears streaming down his face and all. He didn’t even cry like that when he broke his arm.

We reached a compromise – he could take the police car Uncle Captain gave him for his birthday – a much more manageable size for going in the car. It mollified him.

Ane barely remembered to say good bye to me this morning – she was SO relieved to find that school was still there where she left it. Tad and I tried to kill time in downtown Woodinville without spending any money – we went and watched the dogs at doggy day camp at PetSmart, and went to story time at Barnes & Noble, which also offered a free kids treat. Today, it was a kid-sized strawberries and creme frappucino.

Tad thought it was pretty good, but he got tired of it before too long and decided to toss it over his shoulder into the stroller basket. It ended up on the floor after splattering the stroller, and dumping its fragrant contents out the hole in the top on my brown belt Sudoku book. The cover cleaned up okay, but the page edges got wet and now it smells quite strawberry-like.

I managed to keep him relatively entertained for the 2 and 1/2 hours until it was time to pick Ane up. When she came out with her class, her teacher began dismissing the kids one by one as she saw their mom/caretaker waiting for them. “Ane, there’s your mom,” she said. Ane gave me the world’s dirtiest look, and planted herself firmly against the wall, back in her line. Every other child went willingly to their mom, and there was my daughter, looking at me like I was out to get her. Because, of course, if I hadn’t come to get her, preschool wouldn’t be over for the day (and the week, which devastated her).

Her teacher finally had to say, “Ane, your mom is here. I’m so glad you love school, but I have another class coming and it’s time for you to go with your mom. I’ll see you next week.”

By this time, Ane is crying with the injustice of it all, and finally follows me to the car, sobbing. “I don’t want to leave school,” she tells me through her tears. But Mommy is mean, rotten and nasty and makes her get in the car anyway.

Now that the oh-so-wronged children have had lunch (toasted baloney sandwiches and banana smoothies) and are getting to watch the other half of the Curious George episode they started before lunch, there seems to be some justice in the universe at the moment for them.

I’m holding my breath until after naptime.

5 Responses to “Mean Mommy”

  1. linda
    September 11th, 2007 11:59
    1

    oh, Deanna…it has just started!
    Wait until the teen years!!!
    oh my….

  2. Matthew
    September 11th, 2007 19:16
    2

    Wait ’til she gets homework. School won’t be so fun then.

  3. Secha
    September 12th, 2007 02:52
    3

    I guess at least she’s not crying yet because she doesn’t want to go to school? That should be some bit of comfort, hey?

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