Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Was Brave Enough

Yesterday at the park I mentioned that the sprinklers came on. I did not mention that my 6-year-old daughter decided to run through them. No big deal, it's summer! Right? Yes, if it didn't happen to be canal water that the park uses. So I told her, and she looked at me and ran through them again. After we went to the different park, I made her sit there on the bench while the rest of us played. Yeah- say it, "Mean Mommy."

This was AFTER she kept standing on the side of the itty bitty cart at the craft store that looks more like a toy than a functional tool for placing items. No big deal, Right? It would be except for the fact that it was so small, she kept tipping the cart and scaring me and the baby who was sitting in the cart.

Due to these infractions and many smaller ones like haphazardly sweeping the floor just to get done quickly, she only got one "thumbs up" at the end of the day. Putting her total for the week at nine. The kids have to get ten to do a fun activity on Tuesdays, such as painting or making treats. Sooooo, she had to miss today's activity.

She understood and was taking it in stride. I got the call that she (BEG) and Baby Girl could in-fact sleep over to their cousin's house tonight. After packing their pillows and clothes, I told all the children to load up in the van. More than five minutes later, the two older girls were standing on the driveway playing with the dog through the fence. No big deal, right? It would just be the hundredth time I remind a kid, but I was doing THEM a favor, and I had to cruise 30 miles away, come all the way back and make it to Biggest Girl's piano lesson by 3:00. I was tired of hurrying for them and having to wait for them to mind.

I told Brown-Eyed Girl that she could not sleep over (Biggest Girl will miss out on something fun tomorrow as punishment.) Then I called my sister-in-law and asked if she had told her daughter that we were coming. Luckily she hadn't, so I wasn't spoiling her daughter's fun- just my own daughter's.

I dropped off Baby Girl, and apologized to my SIL for not letting both girls stay. She said, "We've all been there. You just were brave enough to follow through."

Being brave doesn't make you feel good, but it has to be done.

2 comments:

Tobi said...

Painfully true.

Anonymous said...

MOTHERHOOD IS NOT FOR WIMPS!!! ...as they say!!
love ya, SMO