The other day, Lucy and Elaine were playing upstairs in their room. Elaine came bawling down the stairs. "Moooooommmm!" she cried, "Lucy hit me on the back with her flag! Just look!" She lifted up her shirt and indeed, she had a long, red scratch down her back.
I said, "Tell Lucy to come downstairs and bring the flag with her."
She stomped back up the stairs, roaring, "LUCY! Mom says get down here right now with that flag so she can spank you!" (some creative license there)
Now Lucy came slowly downstairs, dragging the flag and also crying.
"I have to tell you something, Mommy," she sobbed. I drew her onto my lap to hear what she had to say.
"I tried to remember that verse," she said through her tears, "that one that says: 'Don't return evil for evil..." her voice rose to a shriek, "BUT IT WAS TOO LATE!"
Yeah, I hate when that happens.
We talked a bit, and I asked her to apologize to her sister and pet her back a bit where she scratched it. Peace was restored.
Then I told them both, "I'm sorry I haven't spent much time with you today. But we're having company tonight, and I'm trying to get ready for it. Can you be nice and welcoming to our friends when they get here?"
"Yes," Elaine answered promptly. "I will kiss them." She added darkly, "And then I'll show them that scratch on my back."
Time for some verses on forgiveness.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
News to Me
Elaine is so excited about heading to pre-school this fall that she can't contain herself. When we were in Target last week, she saw a backpack that she absolutely needed right then (she didn't get it). Then today she saw a princess lunchbox she had to have. When I said no, she got so mad that when we walked through the sporting goods section, she kicked a can of tennis balls on the floor. I stated that she should pick them up immediately and apologize, but instead she laid down on the floor and went completely DefCon 1. Yes, we have officially become *that* family--the one whose child's screams you hear throughout the store and think to yourself, "Why can't they get that hellion under control?"
I don't know how she's going to survive the remaining seven or so weeks before she actually gets to go to school. But this afternoon (after apologizing for what will now be referred to as The Dark Target Visit), she climbed up on my lap for some Mama time. She then held me captive for a long monologue about her teacher (whom she's never met nor does she know anything about, not even her name).
She told me, "My teacher, Mom? She's so nice. She has a pool and lots of goggles for everyone. And she has a cat named Anna. She's got lots of dress-up clothes and rings for all of us to wear. And the rings have gum in them. She has a play kitchen, and we're going to have lots of tea parties where we're all going to wear cat costumes. And have cake, lots of cake, and ice cream to go with it. She has a lot of money, too. Oh, and Theresa gave me some money, Mom. She gave me one hundred dollars so I can go to the pool."
It was so much fun listening to what was obviously her ultimate school fantasy, but I had to finally break in and ask, "Who is Theresa?"
She answered, "She's my sister. And my friend. Really, Mom, most of my friends are in college."
I don't know how she's going to survive the remaining seven or so weeks before she actually gets to go to school. But this afternoon (after apologizing for what will now be referred to as The Dark Target Visit), she climbed up on my lap for some Mama time. She then held me captive for a long monologue about her teacher (whom she's never met nor does she know anything about, not even her name).
She told me, "My teacher, Mom? She's so nice. She has a pool and lots of goggles for everyone. And she has a cat named Anna. She's got lots of dress-up clothes and rings for all of us to wear. And the rings have gum in them. She has a play kitchen, and we're going to have lots of tea parties where we're all going to wear cat costumes. And have cake, lots of cake, and ice cream to go with it. She has a lot of money, too. Oh, and Theresa gave me some money, Mom. She gave me one hundred dollars so I can go to the pool."
It was so much fun listening to what was obviously her ultimate school fantasy, but I had to finally break in and ask, "Who is Theresa?"
She answered, "She's my sister. And my friend. Really, Mom, most of my friends are in college."
Monday, July 06, 2009
How Come I'm Not Blogging Very Much?
Oh, 'cause I don't have much to say. Here's my exciting day so far:
Got up and swam at 6:00 a.m. By the way, this is my new thing. Since last December when all the stress started really rolling in, my sleep has just been shot, sliced to ribbons. I can't sleep at night and I can't wake up in the morning. So, right after turning 40, I joined the swimclub and I get up early and swim laps for 30 minutes. Guess what? I feel better. I'm tired at night, and I wake up just fine in the morning. I feel less stressed out too. So...yay for swimming.
Then I made banana-blueberry bread.
Now I sort of have the girls playing peacefully in their room (actually, Elaine is sitting in the guestroom, reflecting on her bad behavior for a few moments) while I clean the kitchen--you know, when you open up all the cupboards and throw stuff out and clean the pantry and the refrigerator and all that good stuff (It should take me about three weeks)--and listen to James MacDonald on my laptop. (His quote of the day so far? "Absolute truth in the hands of absolute sinners can be absolutely brutal." Yup.)
So there you go, those are basically my days. Sometimes I mix it up and make a different kind of bread while doing the laundry and listening to Beth Moore instead. It's been a nice sort of break!
Got up and swam at 6:00 a.m. By the way, this is my new thing. Since last December when all the stress started really rolling in, my sleep has just been shot, sliced to ribbons. I can't sleep at night and I can't wake up in the morning. So, right after turning 40, I joined the swimclub and I get up early and swim laps for 30 minutes. Guess what? I feel better. I'm tired at night, and I wake up just fine in the morning. I feel less stressed out too. So...yay for swimming.
Then I made banana-blueberry bread.
Now I sort of have the girls playing peacefully in their room (actually, Elaine is sitting in the guestroom, reflecting on her bad behavior for a few moments) while I clean the kitchen--you know, when you open up all the cupboards and throw stuff out and clean the pantry and the refrigerator and all that good stuff (It should take me about three weeks)--and listen to James MacDonald on my laptop. (His quote of the day so far? "Absolute truth in the hands of absolute sinners can be absolutely brutal." Yup.)
So there you go, those are basically my days. Sometimes I mix it up and make a different kind of bread while doing the laundry and listening to Beth Moore instead. It's been a nice sort of break!
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