11/12/07

Overflow

there are times as a parent where i am able to step back for a minute and really see what i'm doing.
we didn't have school today and i have to say, it wasn't a great day. A woke up before me but was fine because he is allowed to play his DS when there is no school. H woke up around the same time i did. we had oatmeal for breakfast, hoping that it would start us out with warm full bellies.
we didn't do too much after that. i asked the kids to pick 2 books to take to a coffee shop so we could relax and be out of the house but by the time i got gas and headed to the coffee shop it was after noon and they were both sooooo hungry. so we opted for panara bread co. we were still able to lounge there and i got a coffee while the kids read their books. the wind was so wild and strong and it was doing that seattle sprinkling thing so we walked the mall just to say we'd done something.
then. we headed home.
and the kids....they watched tv. how much? well, i'm pretty sure they watched 2 hours of sponge bob. not my finest hour(s).
i can't even say i got much done while they were in their zombie mode. i poked around on line, i did some laundry, i started dinner. but really, i sat on my butt and enjoyed the quiet.
at some point during this 2 hour period i saw my life. i saw my children with that look that most children get when watching the boob tube and i saw myself totally un-engaged.
i announced that the tv needed to be off and the kids needed to be upstairs. H came up and played in her room- i think she wrote a letter to someone. A started reading one of his many, many novels. then. H started sobbing. sobbing because she couldn't get the envelope to stick. she couldn't get the envelope to stick because she had put marker all over the part you're supposed to lick. once this girl starts crying...it's hard to stop. so i went on itunes and did what any other mom would do. i bought her a song. if i knew how to post it on this i would. i bought her the song "it's alright to cry" by marlo thomas and friends. i bought it and i played it very loudly in the living room. she listened and cried. when the song was over she was done. the next song (mj, thriller) came on and she immediately jumped up and started dancing.
dinner is almost ready and the day is almost over.

5 comments:

bandwidow said...

you brought tears to my eyes. that was special.

we should have gotten together today. i had a very similar day. rain, car wouldn't start, stuck inside. we did though make cookies (and with a 3-year-old that took up quite a bit of time). looking forward to coffee on wednesday

kustuck said...

you touched my heart with that one. all of it, especially the part about finding the song for hazel, which is what makes you such a wonderful mother. you are so in tune (pardon the pun) with your beautiful children.
beyond that, your honesty, and the way that you say what many of us feel and think...wow. thanks.

Jennifer said...

you know, i thought about calling and inviting us to your place but time got away from us.
yes, coffee on wednesday will be nice.

Jennifer said...

sara,
thank you. you will be facing many of these days now that you've two kids as well...
time goes by so quickly...they'll be in school before you know it.

tania said...

thanks for reminding the rest of us moms that we are not alone in those kind of days. i always appreciate your honest posts.