I have been having a problem lately with one of my daughter’s parents. And this is a silly reason but I’m saying it anyway: the woman cannot say no.
Let’s put aside for a moment how she allows her child to run all over her. While offputting, sure, that’s not my problem.
What IS my problem is that, since she lacks the strength to say “no” to anything, she and her daughter constantly lead my daughter to believe that they’ve scheduled a playdate. My daughter, with full blown enthusiasm, constantly invites her friend over for a playdate and often invites herself over for the same. I am content to work out the details with the friend’s mother. But the mother always says yes right on the spot - even when she doesn’t mean it.
Why, why, why.
It’s not difficult to say, “I have to check our schedule” or something similar. But she doesn’t. She smiles, says yes, and never calls.
After the first night of my daughter refusing to move off of the sofa, swearing that her friend’s mother would call at any second to come over (of course, she didn’t), I decided that I had to be the bad guy. My daughter had, of course, already decided that this was my fault. So the next time it happened and I said, “Well, I think we need to check the calendar, it’s a busy week,” I was annoyed when the friend’s mother said that they’d love a playdate that day. Of course, she never called. And when I tried to make arrangements at school, she was noncommittal.
So earlier this week, it happened again. And again, I was the bad guy. I am, quite frankly, tired of it. I am at the point that I want to look her in the eye and tell her what I think. Only I think she’ll smile and nod and change nothing.
Instead, I had to explain to my daughter (again) that I didn’t think a playdate was going to work out.
I don’t understand why I have to be the grown up for all of us.
You cry at your three year old’s “graduation” because you realize that she will someday graduate from high school and move out.
I knew the days would come when my kids wanted expensive gadgets to fit in with their friends. I just didn’t think it would happen in kindergarten. Oh yeah, kindergarten.
Katie came home recently and asked me if she could have a cell phone. A real cell phone.
“Nope,” I told her.
“Why not?” she demanded.
“Because you’re too young to have a cell phone.”
“But Jaelynn has one,” she protested.
“I don’t care that Jaelynn has one.”
“Her mom gave her one when she was 6. Can I have one when I am 6?”
“No.”
“Why not? Jaelynn’s mom gave her one.”
“I don’t care that Jaelynn’s mom gave her one. I think 6 is too young for a cell phone.”
She thought for a minute. “What about 7?”
“No.”
“8?”
“No.”
“10?”
The answer to that, I assure you is also no. But I got tired of the discussion. So instead I said, “You can ask your dad that one - but I’m pretty sure that he’s going to say no.”
“It’s not fair!!” she whined.
Oh Katie, you have no idea. Get used to it, kiddo.
Last night, we had friends over for dinner. Charlie was mostly silent as he chowed down on chicken tacos but Katie more than made up for it by regaling all of us with tales of her multiple boyfriends. She now apparently has four - but has only attempted to kiss one. She is five years old. Her father, as you can imagine, is not excited about this turn of events.
Her boyfriend, Tyson, has multiple girlfriends. My friend asked Katie whether it was okay for boys to have lots of girlfriends, to which two year old Charlie pipes up, “Oh yeahhhhhh!”
Hysterical laughter ensued.
Congrats to girlfiend and her new bundle of joy!
The boy turns 2 tomorrow. I was not expecting to feel this sad.
When the girls each turned 2, I was excited that they were hitting new milestones. I was thrilled to watch them grow up.
And with Charlie? It feels much, much different. I think it’s because there are officially no babies in my house for the last time.
I had this whole post planned out in my head about what it all means but I can’t bring myself to type any of it. So I’ll just say this: sometimes, I think that life just happens too quickly and I am frightened that it is just rushing past me.
Yet another reason why I cannot home school my children…
Amy says, “Mom, what do ants eat?”
I answer, “I don’t know.”
I am thinking, “I hope, poison.”
In case you didn’t see it earlier on TV this morning, here you go:
There are few stages in your child’s life more painful for a parent than… the knock knock joke phase. Don’t believe me?
Today at the breakfast table…
Charlie: Knock, knock.
Amy: Who’s there?
Charlie: Banana.
Amy: Banana who?
Charlie: Banana, banana.
(insert peals of laughter on both sides)
Now imagine that about 30 more times. In a row.
Sigh. Charlie has figured out how to climb out of his crib. Tricky little devil. It took the girls years - of course, Charlie is much bigger than they were at his age. In fact, he’s bigger than Amy is at her current age… 
