Skip to main content

Limits


 Most of the time, I feel pretty confident in my capabilities with the twins and taking them places - even when I'm flying solo.  We had to bow out of a few activities around the holidays that seemed like a recipe for disaster, but there's not too much we won't at least try to do.  The problem is, I started getting cocky about it.  That never ends well.  The universe has a way of dealing with unmerited pride: Get back in line, girl!  

I took the kids to the library today.  In my head, it was going to be a really cool mom way to end the week.  And come on, books!  Our kids love books!  Books are good for our kids.  Win for everyone.  What could possibly go wrong?

Our girls didn't nap today.  The red flag should have already been waving.  On our second try, we made it into the library building with all five of us properly dressed and wearing shoes.        

Are libraries still supposed to be quiet spaces?  It's been awhile since I have really spent time in a public library.  It may be awhile before I'm allowed back.  For the eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds that we were inside, everyone - and I mean everyone knew that we were there.  The entire time.  

The girls made a game of escaping down opposite aisles, pulling books as they went.  If I picked one up, she screamed.  If I put her down, she ran.  I tried showing them picture books, and they tried showing me all the books that were still on the shelf.  Librarians, if you are out there, I am really sorry.  The twenty-two books that you will have to reshelf, that was us.  I don't know if you're supposed to leave them on the floor...

It was bad.  It was worse than this.  If you were there, you would have laughed or walked away in shock.  Carter was like a child possessed.  She knew she was being naughty because I reprimanded her, but that just made her more aggressive.  She was swiping down whole shelves of books!    

We left.  Well, I left, sweating bullets with a girl screaming and squirming under each arm.  Forget a face mask, I was wishing I had on a balaclava and sunglasses.  The boys stayed long enough to check out their books.  It was the shortest library experience of their indecisive lives and may be the last for a very long time.  Now they have our names.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Little Bit Dicey

 This might be a little controversial.  I try to steer clear of such topics in this space, but it needs to be said.  Take it as you will, but know that it comes from a place of love, concern, and respect.  Here it is: there is a right  way to cut an onion. Now, I'm not saying this to try and get anyone's dander up.  I'm just saying it's a subject that needs to be addressed in kitchens across America.  There may be more than one right way to skin a cat (I can't say I've tested that), but the same does not hold true for onions.  Please, you can teach an old dog new tricks - learn how to properly cut an onion.  It will save you time, frustration, onion tears, and possibly a finger.     Now, since I'm still sitting here on blogspot like it's 2003, I'm not going to post any how-to videos, but I'll do the next best thing.  I'll paste a link right here .    Check it out.  Practice it.  Make it a habit.  T...
Post a Comment
Read more

Advanced Placement

 Not to brag or anything, but I think we are raising some very advanced children.  At two-years-of-age, our girls have already worked out the art of manipulation and deflection.  It's the antithesis of endearing.   They went missing the other day - the girls did.  That's never a good situation.  They were in the house, and I knew they were in the house, but I couldn't see or hear them.  Silence is the loudest alarm system.  Fischer took action and found them both in my bathroom.   "MOM!" I met them in the hall.  Carter was covered in clumps and blobs of hand cream. "Emi did it," was her unsolicited response.   "No," I told her.  "I think you  did it." That night I got ready for bed and pulled out my one "self-care" splurge - my face cream .  It was in my drawer where I always keep it.  The lid was screwed on.  And it was empty, wiped clean.  "EmmmeerrrrrSON!" Guilty.  They were both ...
2 comments
Read more

How to Tame a Toddler (and other myths in parenting)

I used to think I had started to hone my parenting skills.  Fischer was a much more mellow toddler than Sawyer, and I credited Ross and myself having the experience of one child under our belts.  It turns out, I was wrong.  Fischer was just a more mellow toddler .  That, or we have substantially regressed in our skills since having the twins.  It could be that. They are terrorists.   Nobody and nothing is off limits.   Our walls are covered in crayon and pencil.  Our new kitchen table has been branded with marker.  There is crayon on the windows.  My cupboards and drawers are empty.  My counter tops are full. They have figured out how to climb up on the table, and how to climb onto the windowsill and over the back of the couch, how to climb out of their cribs, and how to climb out of their clothes!       Our boys did not do these things.   I wasn't prepared.   I thought we had a plan...
Post a Comment
Read more