Thursday, August 5, 2010

absurd

Not 24 hours from the time I posted how great Donovan was, I stood in the doorway to his room, feelings of annoyed frustration creeping over my body, as I watched him whine and cry and moan and whine.

"Donovan, what is the big deal? Scoop up your knights, put them in the bin, then put away the tinker toys and you can go outside!"
Whine-cry-moan-whine "It's so HARD!"

It's not so hard. But it does begin to appear impossible when you're 5 and tired.
As the irritation began to spread to my limbs and into my brain, which sends a warning signal to the other side of my brain that, in everyone's best interest, I should count to ten, I was brought up short.

"Donovan?" I asked. "What ARE you doing?"
He began to whine and cry and moan about the impossible task before him when I interrupted, "No. What are DOING?"

He paused, tears momentarily frozen on his face, body still. That was when he realized that his right hand was cupping his left armpit and his left arm was mid-flap. His pause was for just a tiny second as he reverted back to the whine crying and his arm continued to flap and his armpit continued to quack.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked, all irritation and annoyance and frustration evacuated, and just bewilderment in their place.

He alternated crying and giggling to the chorus of his new-found talent. One, it would appear, that has been so entrenched in his little brain that he isn't even aware he's doing it. I am torn between the thought that this could be the virtual bucket of cold water that keeps me from raising my voice with my child, and the horrific thought that it will have the opposite affect if employed in the presence of teachers, parents and law enforcement.

Maybe next time I feel frustrated with my kids, I'll start skipping in place, clapping my hands.

3 comments:

Itty_Bitty_Wittes said...

I have a question...
Its a weird one...

When did your kids start getting freckles?

I have 2 redheads and their skin is so clear its almost translucent.

My husband doesn't have a lot, but his 7 redheaded brothers have tons.

My mother in law (who is a redhead) and my own mother (who is a redhead) can't recall when they started to show...

can you help me?

I can't wait to see them! :)

My oldest redhead is 4 and my youngest is 18.5 months. My middle child who isn't a redhead already has a few freckles on her nose and she is almost 3.

Can you even remember when they started to show up?

Melin said...

I love that. I love that soo much. Nothing like nonsense to diffuse annoyance.

Sarah said...

I am happy to answer questions, though I don't consider this one weird. The first freckle or two emerged on the bridges of Ainsleigh's and Donovan's noses around the age of 3. I was startled to see Gemma's first freckles appear last summer around 18 months old. My guilty mother-conscience makes me admit that this was following a sunburn while vacationing in Florida. It was a bittersweet realization to realize her first freckles had made their debut, but I have been even more militant about sunscreen since (though I do love their freckle-y cheeks).