Stubborn
This post pretty much sums up how our summer is going.
Yesterday, I got lunch ready for the three older children. We didn't have leftovers in the refrigerator, so I threw together peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut up some fruit, and topped the fare off with some crunchy corn chips. Who could resist?!?
Zoe, that's who. As I headed upstairs to put Melina to bed, I told the kids that lunch was ready, and that I'd be down as soon as I could be. Twenty minutes later, Talia and Aaron had finished their lunches, cleared their places, and were happily reading in the living room. Zoe was still sitting at the table, looking at her sandwich. I knew why. Zoe likes salami and would have preferred to have a salami sandwich. But we didn't have salami. She might have also preferred a hot lunch (many times, I do make lunch specifically for them, not relying on leftovers). But I didn't have the time for that. I informed Zoe that her only option for lunch that day was PB and J, and that looking at it wasn't going to change that fact.
In my head, I had visions of Frances, from Bread and Jam for Frances (if you've never read it, go ahead...it's a good read). I mentioned to Zoe that it might be a great idea to eat her sandwich without complaint, as I could easily give her PB and J at every meal. Her response? She crawled under the table and pulled my sweatshirt over her head. Can you say ostrich?
I gotta tell ya, I was just too tired to yell, or spank, or spit out expletives that little kids shouldn't hear. Someone was watching out for me yesterday, because I simply pulled her onto my lap, told her that we don't always get what we want when we want it, and that eating PB and J was probably better than not eating at all, right? In the end (1.5 hours later!), she ate the sandwich. All of it.
I served pasta at lunch today.
***
How is Aaron doing this summer? Oh, let me count the number of times my blood pressure has risen, just because of him. Oops. I can't do that...too many times to count. Aaron enjoys playing with his sisters, but sometimes, his red-head temper flares, and any one of the following can happen: sand gets thrown, fists fly out only to land somewhere on someone else's body, words are used inappropriately at someone, toys gets stolen, etc.
Again, I think I must be too tired to react, as most of the time, I can be pretty patient with the boy. But I have to wonder, how many times can I tell him not to hit, or call someone 'stinkbutt', or that sand must stay in the box?!? Does Aaron ever listen? I think not, and I am getting tired of trying to make him do so. If anyone out there has suggestions for me, I'm open. I've recently told him to pretend I'm his teacher, as he has admitted to listening to her better than he does to me.
***
Melina is going to be one very soon, and I have not posted any new pictures of her. Next time. She has recently switched to crawling most of the time, and only using her creeping method every once in a while. She loves to scale the stairs (with one of us behind her) and looks for applause each time she goes up by one step. Her 'vocabulary' is increasing: she definitely says 'ball' and 'Shadow' along with the usual 'mama' and 'dada'. We think she's said a variation of Talia and Zoe, too, and some other words, I cannot remember at the moment. We'll be sure to put a post of her big day in July.
Yesterday, I got lunch ready for the three older children. We didn't have leftovers in the refrigerator, so I threw together peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut up some fruit, and topped the fare off with some crunchy corn chips. Who could resist?!?
Zoe, that's who. As I headed upstairs to put Melina to bed, I told the kids that lunch was ready, and that I'd be down as soon as I could be. Twenty minutes later, Talia and Aaron had finished their lunches, cleared their places, and were happily reading in the living room. Zoe was still sitting at the table, looking at her sandwich. I knew why. Zoe likes salami and would have preferred to have a salami sandwich. But we didn't have salami. She might have also preferred a hot lunch (many times, I do make lunch specifically for them, not relying on leftovers). But I didn't have the time for that. I informed Zoe that her only option for lunch that day was PB and J, and that looking at it wasn't going to change that fact.
In my head, I had visions of Frances, from Bread and Jam for Frances (if you've never read it, go ahead...it's a good read). I mentioned to Zoe that it might be a great idea to eat her sandwich without complaint, as I could easily give her PB and J at every meal. Her response? She crawled under the table and pulled my sweatshirt over her head. Can you say ostrich?
I gotta tell ya, I was just too tired to yell, or spank, or spit out expletives that little kids shouldn't hear. Someone was watching out for me yesterday, because I simply pulled her onto my lap, told her that we don't always get what we want when we want it, and that eating PB and J was probably better than not eating at all, right? In the end (1.5 hours later!), she ate the sandwich. All of it.
I served pasta at lunch today.
***
How is Aaron doing this summer? Oh, let me count the number of times my blood pressure has risen, just because of him. Oops. I can't do that...too many times to count. Aaron enjoys playing with his sisters, but sometimes, his red-head temper flares, and any one of the following can happen: sand gets thrown, fists fly out only to land somewhere on someone else's body, words are used inappropriately at someone, toys gets stolen, etc.
Again, I think I must be too tired to react, as most of the time, I can be pretty patient with the boy. But I have to wonder, how many times can I tell him not to hit, or call someone 'stinkbutt', or that sand must stay in the box?!? Does Aaron ever listen? I think not, and I am getting tired of trying to make him do so. If anyone out there has suggestions for me, I'm open. I've recently told him to pretend I'm his teacher, as he has admitted to listening to her better than he does to me.
***
Melina is going to be one very soon, and I have not posted any new pictures of her. Next time. She has recently switched to crawling most of the time, and only using her creeping method every once in a while. She loves to scale the stairs (with one of us behind her) and looks for applause each time she goes up by one step. Her 'vocabulary' is increasing: she definitely says 'ball' and 'Shadow' along with the usual 'mama' and 'dada'. We think she's said a variation of Talia and Zoe, too, and some other words, I cannot remember at the moment. We'll be sure to put a post of her big day in July.
Comments
I'm glad Harper isn't the only stubborn in this area! :-)