Summer: Sat., 8/10
Another long day with the monster children. The morning was okay, both girls taking turns sewing various things, and while they crafted I did some cleaning out of my office closet, since the sewing machine is in my office. The downward turn came after, when we pulled up a YouTube video to learn the "cups" thing from the Anna Kendrick song in Pitch Perfect. I'm not sure what set Greta off, but she went to her room and drew a few pictures of a mean mommy, showing them to me triumphantly. I have no idea what I did. Anyway, Lucia got really good at cups.
By lunchtime, everyone was antsy, since Andrew was supposed to be back around 1:30pm. The time came and went. Finally I got the girls to ride scooters to the Jefferson playground, just to get out of the house and onto neutral territory. Even there, they were off, bickering and out of rhythm. When Andrew texted to say he was in an Uber heading home from the airport, we went back.
We were all happy to see him. He brought me a fancy Swiss pen, and chocolates for the girls. Then I dropped him and the girls off at the pool and went to Target, then met them back at the pool. More unrest. Greta was crying because she was convinced she'd put the five-franc Swiss coin Andrew had given her into the pocket on her swimsuit, and it was now gone. She and Andrew swam around the pool with goggles on, trying to find it. They couldn't.
When we got home, Lucia was demanding and clingy--I have no idea what's going on with her; we had a protracted battle of wills earlier when she feigned complete helplessness and cluelessness over how she might go about reaching something on the top shelf of the fridge--and there was more bickering. More manic do this now, Mommy do this, Daddy come here, when are we this, when will that, on and on and on. Both children appear to have forgotten how to do anything for themselves, or how to coexist, or how to play. Some terrible energy has settled over us for the past two days, which is really disappointing since we had so much fun for most of the week.
Ah! Here it is, the moment we all KNEW would come at least once this summer: IF THESE CHILDREN ARE GOING TO ACT LIKE THIS THEN I'M SENDING THEM TO SLEEPAWAY CAMP FOR THE ENTIRE SUMMER NEXT YEAR!!!!! Screamed silently, to myself, but still. What monsters they've been. For two days they've traded the baton of awfulness back and forth. What an end to an otherwise summer-magic week. Maybe I brought it on myself, with my happy posts about friendship bracelets etc. Maybe I was asking for it. Maybe you're all secretly GLAD that I've been beaten down by these two endless days!
Happily, by the time Andrew had grilled up some burgers and hot dogs, the tide had shifted. The girls were giggling upstairs, whispering, being nice to each other. Let's hope it continues.
Oh: Greta's five-franc coin turned out to have been at home the whole time. A hundred thousand sighs.
By lunchtime, everyone was antsy, since Andrew was supposed to be back around 1:30pm. The time came and went. Finally I got the girls to ride scooters to the Jefferson playground, just to get out of the house and onto neutral territory. Even there, they were off, bickering and out of rhythm. When Andrew texted to say he was in an Uber heading home from the airport, we went back.
We were all happy to see him. He brought me a fancy Swiss pen, and chocolates for the girls. Then I dropped him and the girls off at the pool and went to Target, then met them back at the pool. More unrest. Greta was crying because she was convinced she'd put the five-franc Swiss coin Andrew had given her into the pocket on her swimsuit, and it was now gone. She and Andrew swam around the pool with goggles on, trying to find it. They couldn't.
When we got home, Lucia was demanding and clingy--I have no idea what's going on with her; we had a protracted battle of wills earlier when she feigned complete helplessness and cluelessness over how she might go about reaching something on the top shelf of the fridge--and there was more bickering. More manic do this now, Mommy do this, Daddy come here, when are we this, when will that, on and on and on. Both children appear to have forgotten how to do anything for themselves, or how to coexist, or how to play. Some terrible energy has settled over us for the past two days, which is really disappointing since we had so much fun for most of the week.
Ah! Here it is, the moment we all KNEW would come at least once this summer: IF THESE CHILDREN ARE GOING TO ACT LIKE THIS THEN I'M SENDING THEM TO SLEEPAWAY CAMP FOR THE ENTIRE SUMMER NEXT YEAR!!!!! Screamed silently, to myself, but still. What monsters they've been. For two days they've traded the baton of awfulness back and forth. What an end to an otherwise summer-magic week. Maybe I brought it on myself, with my happy posts about friendship bracelets etc. Maybe I was asking for it. Maybe you're all secretly GLAD that I've been beaten down by these two endless days!
Happily, by the time Andrew had grilled up some burgers and hot dogs, the tide had shifted. The girls were giggling upstairs, whispering, being nice to each other. Let's hope it continues.
Oh: Greta's five-franc coin turned out to have been at home the whole time. A hundred thousand sighs.
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