So Far Today

Well, my list of parenting offenses is already sizeable today and the day is just half over! Before I took C&A to playgroup this morning, I continued my experiment with "stationary parenting" which largely relies on noneffective verbal commands and threats rather than physical intervention. I mean, something HORRIBLE has to happen for me to lumber to my feet and intervene. So this morning, the girls spent an hour or two hitting eachother and screaming while I sat a few feet away threatening. Then we went to playgroup where Claire had a titanic tantrum because Ava was swinging in a swing she wanted. Rather than pull Claire away for a "corrective discussion" about appropriate behavior, I just kept pushing Ava in the swing while Claire frenzied around like a little tiny madwoman. Well, soon enough ... SMACKO! ... she frenzied into the path of the oncoming swing and her little nose took a full hit. All of my capable playgroup mom friends were watching in horror as blood sprayed all over my clothes and down the front of Claire's shirt. I shifted quickly into active parent mode and did the proper thing re comforting, nose pinching, admonition speech to Claire in soothing tone. She recovered well and quickly ... wonderful wonderful Bridgett, gave us changes of clothes (and it isn't easy to dress me at this point!) and oxy cleaned our wardrobe for future washing. Then I lugged the girls home and ... sigh ... fed them raisins and string cheese in their cribs for a lunch/nap combination. I am not proud.

They are going to John's parents for a day on Friday and I admit (profusely!) that I am so thrilled with the idea, I get giggly when I think of it. John's mom was traveling for the last 1.5 months so I haven't been able to send them over there in that amount of time which means NOT A SINGLE DAY OFF. When John goes off to work on Monday mornings, I sometimes find myself silently swearing at his retreating backside ... "oh sure, go hop in your Porsche convertible and drive off to "work", you big jerk" Parenting brings out the ALL TIME worst in me!