Reading Steve’s iTunes playlist, invaded by his children’s Shrek 2’s soundtrack, struck a chord with me. My sons are constantly intruding onto my computer, my iPod, my cell phone, etc. They even have me staking out my local video store.
This afternoon, after wondering around BlockBuster, I picked two movies and went to pay for them:
Young BlockBuster Associate (YBBA): “Find everything, M’am?”
Me: (Cringing from being called “M’am”) “Uhhh, no actually. Do you have the new Nintendo Wii Mario Brothers game?”
YBBA: “I don’t think its out yet. Do you know the whole title?”
Me: (Thinking: What a dork, he doesn’t even know it?) “Let’s see, there’s Super Paper Mario and there’s also Super Mario Galaxy. Uh…..this is for my sons.”
[I knew the game titles. Now who’s the dork?]
YBBA: (Checking the computer) “We don’t have Super Paper Mario and Super Mario Galaxy isn’t out until June”.
Me: (Looking aimlessly around the store) “Oh”.
I proceed to pay for my two movies. YBBA hands them to me, enthusiastically pointing to my receipt: “Here’s a coupon for a free rental of any item in the middle isles of the store!”
Me: (noticing the Nintendo Wii games are in fact in a middle isle of the store!) “Really? Can I put that towards a Wii game rental?”
YBBA: “No M’am, just the movies. But your BlockBuster Rewards account has also earned you a free rental at the end of the month!”
Me: “And can I put THAT towards a Wii game?”
YBBA: “No.”
ME: (Sigh) “Oh.”
Somewhere peppered in between the Nintendo Wii games, soccer practices, birthday parties, parent-teacher conferences, swim lessons, preschool art shows, dentist appointments, and car pooling, I have my own life with no intrusions from my children.
But really, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Shiv, I can totally relate. My day was getting up with the kids, making them breakfast ( choc. chip pancakes), taking my daughter to a birthday party, taking my son to his soccer game, back home for an hour of house work, then I took my son to a birthday party. Back home for baths, another load of laundry. All the while breaking up fights and mediating disputes (Condi has nothing on me!) When bedtime finally rolls around, it’s drinks of water, a trip to the bathroom, hugs and kisses. When they are finally asleep, I miss them. I think of ten things I could have done differently/better during the day and I promise to be a better Mom tommorrow. Some days I succeed, others I fail miserably.
In the end we don’t really know if we did well until we watch our babies with their babies. I’m with you I wouldn’t have it any other way. Unless I could have a cook, maid, errand boy, landscaper etc…hahahhaha
Whoa, whoa, whoa, Kate! Don’t address that comment to me! Much as I admire you guys who have chosen to procreate, you can count me firmly in the childfree camp. My kids have four legs and fur.
I honestly don’t know how y’all do it (hey, after 20 years of living below the Mason-Dixon line, I’m allowed to say “y’all.”). Just my normal day causes me to pull my hair out by the roots, until I can get home, hop on my horse, have a glass of wine, play with the dogs, relax, etc. I raise my glass to you parents but, um, I don’t envy you.
Shiv, I’m sorry and VERY JEALOUS. and case in point that type of mistake is par for the course when parenting. I once got a christmas card from a friend, stamped, addressed. But it was blank inside. She’d been so crazy w/her kids that day she got distracted and didn’t write anything inside. That also goes along with being in the shower, hearing the kids killing each other and getting out to break up the fight. Only to realize (hours later) you only shaved one leg. Or the phone ringing, you search every where for it, only to find it in the freezer. Oh yeah being a parent is one big party…
and Krissy sorry for the slight, good post!
No problem, Kate. Believe me, I know how it is.
Shiobhan, your description of how you end your workday sounded absolutely blissful! It contained a verb that not many parents frequently experience: “relaxing”.
Shiv, we all knew you to be a skilled horsewoman, but hopping on the horse WITH a glass of wine? That’s just plain acrobatic.
You should see me with the lime, salt and tequila. The horse is relatively bombproof, and as long as there’s a carrot or peppermint in it for him, he pretty much rolls his eyes at me.
NB: The last horse insisted on sharing my Guinness. He now belongs to the US Park Police and patrols the Capitol. I somehow think that’s strangely appropriate.