So I have one of those funny frazzled mom stories. Well, not necessarily funny at all while it was happening, but after the fact you just can't help but look back and chuckle. It could also be called the long walk, (with ninjas).
It had been a long day. I had spent 2-3 hours making a dinner that nobody completely liked and even complained about (a lovely creamy chicken and rice dish with mild flavors, we're not talking liver, onions, and brussel sprouts here but alas, I digress). After dinner we ran out for an errand and were driving home in the car. The girls were a bit over tired by this time. Everything from the back seat was an argument, a tattle, a complaint. There was sobbing, there was crying, there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. Were these justifiable life altering things we were upset about? Um, NO! Near the end of our short trip lets see, one was upset that she couldn't see the rainbow I had pointed out and was weeping uncontrollably, one was hot and wanted some fresh air, so she rolled down the window, which sent the baby into shrieks that she was so "cold", which sent the oldest into a tantrum of why she needed it down because she was so hot... you get the picture.
We pull into the driveway and I've had about ENOUGH. So I announce I am leaving, I need a break. Please call me when you stop crying, stop fighting, stop complaining. I am outta here. I get out of the car and start walking down the street. My hubby (driving) puts the car in the garage and gets the 4-year-old out of her car seat, who is now sad I am leaving and didn't get a chance to say goodbye. She runs inside in a panic and grabs our puzzle of the United States of America... (first thing you would do, right?)
She is begging my husband to tell her where I am headed. Poor thing. I was just going to get some fresh air and walk around the neighborhood and she thinks I'm gonna hoof it to New Mexico or something. When I returned and heard this I was both touched and tickled. Not to mention the fact we have a long standing joke in my family entitled "I don't walk that far" so if she knew me at all, the thought of even walking to the back yard, let alone another state was outright hilarious!
So, back to the moment in the driveway when I announce my departure. I start to walk down our street, breathing in deeply, counting to 10, admiring the clouds, calming back down into regular mommy mommy mode, and think I will walk over to our little park and watch the sunset. So I'm half way down the street in our little gated community and I turn around and the older two are following me.
Only they don't think I can see them because they are hiding behind two different trees like statues. I walk a bit further, turn around, and they are 20 paces closer, behind a new set of trees. I really didn't want them to follow me so I told them to go home. I watched them turn around and run for home. I even waited a couple extra seconds to make sure they were not doubling back. Now convinced I was talking a solitary walk, I continued to our park.
It was quiet and lovely there, so I sat on a bench and looked at the sky for 10 minutes. After a while I was looking in all directions around me and when I gazed directly behind me 20 yards away, I was very surprised to see to sets of legs and hands behind two of the park trees. They followed me all the way to the park! That was some pretty good stalking I thought in the back of my mind. I didn't see or even hear them. Pretty stealthy. I had no idea I was dealing with expert, professional hide and seekers.
So now instead of sitting there and relaxing like I needed, I am now worried that they will either just stick around and stalk me, or worse, try to head home by themselves. The worry gets the best of me and I head toward the park fence where I had seen them last. Surprisingly, they were not there. I looked around the whole area, scanning for ninja "hand" trees, but, nothing. I think oh no, they have heading home alone. I decided to walk home quickly, while still looking all over for them along the way. I ven stopped and turned around to see if they were following at a distance, still nothing. I get all the way home and my hubby was out in the driveway putting out the garbage cans for the next day. I ask where they are and he says they are still following me. I turn around and sure enough, like little ninjas, I see them hiding in the distance...
Seriously, I was so IMPRESSED by their skills of deception and stealthery! I had not seen nor heard them the whole way home! Yet there they were, making sure I was "safe" from 20 paces behind. Aw, they DO care. Hooray. After my much needed (but a little too short) fresh air break, things mostly went back to normal and we got them ready for bed. Apologies and hugs were the icing on the parenting cake. Next time I go on a walk though, I am definitely thinking of bringing my ninja security team.
4 comments:
I tried to show her that you were not leaving the State of Washington, but she was convinced you were half way across this great country.
Given the opportunity, I would definitely make for New Mexico!
Hilarious...and more importantly--terrifying! We can only pray that they will use their powers for good and not evil...and STAY IN THEIR YARD! I'm glad everyone made it home safe...from New Mexico. :)
Ummm...that last one was from me:)
Post a Comment