The kids and I had a typical trip to the grocery store this morning. The boys were running up and down aisles, hiding behind displays and knocking things off the shelves. I was shouting out commands, "STOP RUNNING!" "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!!" "THAT'S NOT HOW WE ACT IN PUBLIC!!!" Nothing I said seemed to register with the boys. They had completely tuned me out. I finally resorted to threats. "If I see any of you run one more time or touch one more thing, WE WILL NOT GO TO THE POOL TODAY!" That finally seemed to work...for the moment anyway. By the time we made it out to the van, I felt exhausted...and it wasn't even 10:00a.m. yet. "Why couldn't I have waited until next week when the boys were in school to go grocery shopping?", I wondered.
When we reached the van, the routine fight over who gets to sit by Eden began. I opened the back hatch and started loading the groceries in vehicle. I bent down to get the watermelon from underneath the grocery cart, and on the way up, smashed my head HARD on the cart handle. OOOOUUUUCCHHHH! IT HURT SO BAD!!! I cussed....audibly. Then I started crying and completely lost my cool. I SCREAMED at my kids this time, "I'M TIRED OF THE FIGHTING!!! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU SIT!! JUST SIT DOWN AND PUT YOUR SEATBELTS ON NOW!!!!" Tears were rolling down my face, my head was throbbing, and for just one instant, the children were silent.
Austin, who likes to show his defiance whenever Mom loses her cool, shouted back in the orneriest voice he could muster up, "MOM! YOU'RE CUTE!!!"
I shot back, still fuming and shocked that any of my children dared speak to me in that tone after I had displayed such emotion, "What did you say to me?"
Austin repeated, "MOM! YOU'RE CUTE!!!"
I wasn't sure I was hearing him correctly. I had to ask him to repeat himself a few more times. Sure enough, he was calling me "cute". What could possibly be cute about a frazzled, ill-tempered mother with a goose-egg on her head and mascara streaks on her face? "Austin, what do you think "cute" means?" I asked.
"Like a baby," he said.
Suddenly, I wasn't crying or yelling anymore. I was laughing...hard. He was cracking me up. Sure enough. I was acting like a baby. He had gotten that part right anyway. I'm so grateful that Austin knew just what to say to turn my mood around so quickly. In that dark moment, he reminded me why I really do love being a mom.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Defining "Cute"
Posted by Bobbi at Monday, August 18, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Man for a second there I thought I was reading my journal!! I have had so many events like this it is sick!
I know the times that I have cried it does seem to help a little bit, but whey can't we act like babies? I think we all feel the same way kids do when they get upset, but we are more "mature" than to throw ourselves on the floor and have a fit...right? Well sometimes maybe we need to be "cute as a baby" just so our kids see we are more than just "mom" we are real people too:) So in other words...I support your behave 100% because I have done the same thing:)
Sorry you hit your head though. I'm sure that made everything twice as bad. Hope your bump went away.
I do think it is cute that the boys want to sit by their adorable baby sister!!! I'm sure it is old to you because of the fighting that it brings on, but what a great feeling knowing she is loved so much!
That is hilarious! I love it!!
That is too funny! This post just made my day!
Post a Comment