something from Mum
Mummy wrote Daddy this big e-mail about our morning. She seems to be quite proud of it, so I thought I'll include it. Here goes: This is an example of a good morning, with only one little tanty. 1. You left for work. I avoided the 'daddy, I want daddy' tantrum by redirecting her to the window to wave. Avoided said tantrum after window bye-byes by suggesting playing with teddy the moment your car left 2. This didn't work, but we got the 'brum, brum, beep, beep' tantrum instead of dadda gone tantrum. I ignored Kasia's need to go for a drive for a while. She was banging on teh door, yelling, trying to use the key. Possibly vandalising the lock. Explanations that we need to eat breakfast first were tried, then abandoned. Some more ignoring. 3. Ignoring didn't work for 10 minutes, I was expecting major meltdown in the next 2-3. I suggested playing with teddy. No can do. Playing with sharp things from the manicure set. see above. Wiggles. 'NO'. Kasia? Yep, watching a CD of herself was acceptable. 4. Got her breakfast. Kasia requested playdough. Tantrum-avoiding tactic: 'here dear' and cleaned some kitchen. 5. Next thing I know (2min later), Kasia has put playdough back into tubs and is requesting 'this' (i.e.: messy texters). Tantrum-avoiding tactic: grit teeth, praise kid for putting things away, put apron on kid, hand her texters. clean kitchen some more. 6. Breakfast. Did 3 slices of bread, as Kasia tends to eat 1+ slice. Not this time. 3 bites and she was finished. I finished the rest (waistline: shut up, I'll need these calories). Drank tea and COFFEE. 7. Suggested we go 'broom, broom, beep, beep'. No can do. Kasia is busy watching Kasia. Put a wash on. Cleaned kitchen further. Beep beep? No. Swept the kitchen. Oh, goodie, I'll have a kitchen that doesn't drive me mad. 8. Started mopping the kitchen. Kasia got herself unglued from TV and wants to help. her in socks, water on floor. If she helps, I'll have to take off socks (likely a tantrum). Claimed that I've just finished. Kid got convinced. Dropped the mop off and run back to distract her from walking on wet floor (see above). Decided I need a broom rack just inside the laundry door, because that's where the brooms congregate, and then they fall over. 9. Broom, broom, beep, beep (I need to get to this accountant)? No. Started to dismantle bed in library. Looked into our bedroom: treat - the bedsheet has nothing on it: changing it will be just a moment's work. Done. let's change Kasia's sheet. Oh, here she is. Wants to come into cot. Hang on, let me finish putting the sheet on. OK, in you go. Blast it, dirty socks. Take socks off? Risk tantrum? Have to put socks again later to avoid shoes rubbing her feet. Just jump in. 10. Change the entire bedding on two beds while singing 'everybody is jumping, jumping, jumping, everybody is jumping just like me'. Occasionally changing the jumping to 'sleeping', 'sitting', or 'laughing' but not for long, because Kasia requests 'more jumping'. Find out that I'm still a bit out of breath. 11. finished. Ask Kasia, whether she wants out. No. 'Bye, bye, mummy'. Get the message, get out of bedroom, check e-mail. Plenty there. Write e-mail or two, popping into her room from time to time (every minute?) to ask whether she wants out. Fortunately, all I get is 'bye, bye, mummy' in forceful tones. Comply. 12. finished urgent e-mails. Think of hanging out the washing. Nope. Kasia wants to broom broom beep beep. It is now 1.5h before her sleep time. No way we can get there, get back, prepare lunch and get to sleep on time. Plus, after .5h of jumping, she is rather tired. Hmm. 13. We go broom broom beep beep. I make sure that I don't open the passenger door and don't give her any other chance to get onto a passenger's seat so that I can get her into her seat without a tantrum. Success. Hear some news? Tomorrow's weather (crucial Kasia mood indicator)? Nope. Wiggles. 14. we Wiggle down to Borack square without complaint. Kid has spent all the energy and happy to just sit. get out, go to accountant. The moment we come in she wants to go back to CAAAR. Sorry, kiddo, yes, we are going. 15. Now, if I get her to the greengrocer, I can save myself going to the shops in the pm. Tempting. Kid by the hand, we walk 10 meters. 2- dollar shop: the perfect broom hanger for behind the laundry door staring at me from the top of the pile on the pavement. Weigh options. Grab broom hanger and try to get Kasia to shop. She melts in front of the doorstep and refuses. Hoist into arms. Hope all the kitch on display will amuse, put down at the register. Kasia not amused, poised to run out and into road. Grab hand. Kasia reciprocates by throwing self on ground (mental note: K. will need some cleaning). Hoist into arms. Shopkeeper starts an awful figuring of some sort of cook to sing & dance in front of K. on the register. K. not amused. Paying for broom hanger. K. getting histerical. Afraid of the singing/dancing cook or just plain pissed off? Could be either, cook is terrifyingly bad. Move cook away. Doesn't help. K. screaming and trying to get loose, prob. so that she can run off into street. Stroller in car, wouldn't be helpful anyway. Spot a tray of kitch rings. Grab one ($1), offer to Kasia. Put on finger. Instant calm. Love bribery. If only it could work all the time. 16. Greengrocer. Had to take Kasia over the threshold, but once inside, she is still too involved with new ring to complain much. But is standing at the front, so that I have to hover within 1 m, just in case she decides to fly off into the street. Apples are within range. Kasia moves in, so I get some mushrooms. Kasia gets involved with something at the end of aisle, so I grab the rest. Probably she is being a pest. I no longer care. It'll be easier for the shop people to rearrange a display than for me to distract her. And if not: it is them, not me. Conservation of energy. Grab a bunch of bananas from outside the door, assuming that I'll catch her in doorway if she decides to run. Pay, assuming ditto. Kasia quiet (love the squeeky shoes, by the way: can monitor by sound). Express 'where is the kid' sentiment, and the shopkeeper's son goes and gets her. Kasia intimidated by this person grabbing her hand is only too happy to come to mummy. LOOOOVE the Turkish people: they are good with kids and VEERy understanding of mums. 17. Now we are on the opposite side of the square to the car. We can return either way, but I've got 3 bags and it won't be easy to carry her across roads. Tough. Fortunately choose the way past supermarket and spot a trolley on the pavement. Kasia willing to ride. Think up a few responses to use if anybody challenges my taking the trolley (poor people). Scope the road again, this time taking into account that I'll be crossing the road with a trolley. Go back where I come from. No ramp. Go further, out of the square for the nearest ramp. Go past newsagency. Kasia quiet. I need something to feed the inner me! Go and get a quilting magazine. 18. Almost at the car. Now the time is 11:30. Half an hour till sleeptime, no lunch. Saw a chook shop before. Ask Kasia re. chook. Yes! Go to shop. A small step: no way I'll get the trolley in. Pavement slopes in the direction of the road. Yell into shop asking for chicken drumsticks. They tell me they have only a chicken snitzel, looking at me strangely. Get out, realise the chicken shop is the next one. 19. Even bigger step. Put my head into chicken shop. The owner comes over and asks what I want. I ask him for quarter chicken, and to cut off the thigh. He does that, hands it to me, takes my money and brings change and napkin. All with a smile. I LOVE TURKISH PEOPLE. LOVE THEM. 20. Manouver shopping and Kasia into car. Kasia asking for chook. Firmly rest trolley on front bumper of car. Start car, airconditioning, Wiggles. Open boot. Move bags to boot. Move kid to car, making sure that at no time she can think she gets into passenger seat. Wash own and kids hands with wet wipe. Try to spread napkin on kid. Unappreciated +++. Deconstruct drumstick, wrap with unappreciated napkin, hand to kid. Get out, close boot, door, move trolley to rest against a rubbish bit in front of first restaurant. Owner out, wiping tables. Prepare scating response about returning trolley and leaving kid in car. Owner wiser than she looked at first and doesn't approach. 21. drive home. Kasia busy with drumstick all the time. But Wiggles have to be on. Offers me food, but I decline. 22. Get into garage. Kasia finishing with drumstick. Unpack shopping, pile by the door. Take box with rest of chicken, put ditto. Go to unwrap kid from belts. Eat proferred bits of drumstick (not even too pre-chewed). Get kid out. Move to door. Open door, get kid in, pile in shopping. Get kid to sit down to take off shoes. Kid does. Praise kid. 23. Kid suggests Wiggles, mummy suggests sleep. 'No'. Offers of drink, yum, bottle, yummy. Nope. Kid continues to gnaw drumstick, so leave her to get more nourishment. Check e-mail. 24. Answer Jeremy's e-mail. Kasia adds her own. Mostly using the number pad. wouldn't be too bad if she only added stuff (the * don't look too bad), but she scrolls madly all over the place and deletes things too. How does the lock num key work? 25. Kid gives up drumstick. Complains about poo. I ask re. potty. OK. try to take her. NOOOO! Fine. Poo indeed is poo this time, so need to change nappy. Grab her while it is still unspread. Try to convince K. that it will be faster this way. She lets me take her (convinced?), but screams and does Rosemary's Baby at teh sight of change table (unconvinced). Start reciting Harry McLarry. Works. Try to speed-change nappy while reciting poem. Got out of practice: forgot the blasted thing. Kasia helpfully suggests the bit about Scarface Claw, so I do that (praying that she doesn't get excited and want to get up). Worked. Repeat that bit 4 times and I'm done. 26. Kasia now settled lying down so put nappy into bag. Grab Kasia and put nappy in nappy bin while holding her. Wash right hand. Grab dummy. Get onto armchair and cuddle kasia. She refused bottle repeatedly, so obviously drumstick was enough. 27. After 10 min: 'bot-bot?' Here, I surprise her (and myself) as I have a bottle ready to be made in my bag within the reach of the armchair. Heh, heh. 28. Cuddling after bottle, then discussing body parts. Repeat 3x. 29. Goes to sleep at 12:40. I need lunch, massage, a good quilting magazine, and a whinge. To date I had 2 out of 4. oh, and a week in the Cooks with a nanny wouldn't hurt either. Now I need to work at home (washing out, new in, take dishes out, mop that floor, hall needs sweeping, call Marysia) adn office (Leanne needs reference, thesis, tax, minor admin++++). 2pm. I've got 10 or 40 min depending on the sleep fairy Altogether not a bad morning.
- posted by Izabela @ 1/12/2005 01:50:00 PM