I pin stuff on Rory–and why not, she’s the most interesting of the lot right now, and the one for whom I get to come up with all of these reasons for her behavior…but really, all three “littles” make me crazy, and all three of them have some of the same issues, which are probably–somehow–my issues.
And so I ask. with passionate interest–why do they always want me? Truly, Rob is a MUCH nicer person than I am. Way more patient, especially as the day winds down to a close and somehow people are not in bed yet even though I desperately need them to just go away. (Don’t feel too sorry for me here; I often need this even when I have had a sitter all day. I just need way more space than I get, and mostly that is because I am a selfish only child who wanted a wild, crazy household but only on her own terms.)
But they want ME. Tonight we had “Dartmouth swimming,” a fabulous week-long program where beginning swimmers get a swim team student all to themselves and the bigger ones are in groups of two or three, learning and swimming for half an hour a day–and then we went for pizza, because when you get out of the pool at 6:20 and you are 4 or 5 years old, there is no way you will remain awake for a 20 minute drive home–and then we went to do that drive home, and EVERYBODY HAD TO BE IN MY CAR.
It’s not a better car. There are not better seats. I do not play better music (although Wyatt really likes some of the NPR themes). In fact, it is the grumpy car, in which I pull over if anyone makes Rory do Ouchie Ouchie (see post below) and refuse to answer any questions or have a conversation about anything. And in the end it is Rob’s car, because Wyatt has to ride in that one, or he falls asleep in the way back and I can’t get him out, and he wants to ride with me, and then Lily and Rory are mad, because the only reason they are in the car is to ride with me and…
Well, you get the picture. And I’m sorry, but why NOT ride in Daddy’s car? Huh? Especially if I will yell at you, and have been, off and on, all day (that’s generally true–nothing unusual about today!) Why not, I ask you, why not?
Because none of them are mentally healthy, that’s why. Freaks.
I was just complaining of the same thing, except that I have one kid and three cats, and I’m adding my husband onto the list. He puts me first, always, and I’d like to do the same to him, but everyone of any species in this household is totally fixated on me.
Cloud is going through a super-clingy phase, though, so I guess that’s more than half the reason.
(Maybe that’s why I want a fish. The fish won’t love me.)
I love pulling a “bait and switch” on them when we have two cars to drive home! They all scramble to get in Mommy’s car while I dilly-dally around chatting with Jason near his car. Then before they know what’s happening, I hop in Jason’s car and he in mine. They whine and moan but Daddy has more patience after not seeing them most of the day.