February 23, 2006
when I die, I want to be burried with my iBook
Last night was a tough one at Casa Playdate. Various children who shall go unnamed were STILL awake and wandering the house crying and asking for water and lights and a snuggle at NINE PM. Which is WAAAAYYY later than anyone who started life in my uterus is permitted to be awake. After the four millionth time someone said, ‘MOMMY! Come snuggle with me!’ I snapped.
‘I can’t take it anymore!’ I told Wade. ‘I’m with those kids ALL DAY LONG! I have played with Charlie since 7:00 this morning! I’ve read Marsupial Sue fifteen times! I spent half an hour this afternoon trying to get Henry to do ANYTHING with us! And then when I tucked him in, he had the gall to ask if we could get on the computer and READ! After rufusing to do it every time I mentioned it today! I CAN’T TAKE IT!’
Poor Wade. He waited patiently until I stopped ranting and then, very logically, tried to help me think of solutions to the eternal question of what the hell do I do with these kids all day long? And he was, quite honestly, both sympathetic and helpful. Go figure.
I spend a lot of time during the day trying to find things that BOTH boys want to do (besides play Knock Me Down, which is just a trip to the ER waiting to happen). I am combatting both the difference in their ages and the difference in their brain structures. Charlie plays typical three-year-old games: he likes to pretend various things (kitchen, doctor, pirate) or build things with blocks, or do art projects. And he will bring me books throughout the day and ask to read.
Henry, on the other hand, lives in his head a lot–a LOT–of the time. He is particularly prone to this after a long day at school, where he is compelled to follow the rules and do his work and participate. By the time he gets home, his meds are wearing off and he is pretty much a constant fountain of chatter for the rest of the afternoon. Some days he just wants to play by himself, but on other days he will string together some elaborate pretend for he and Charlie to do together. But it’s never as simple as ‘let’s serve plastic food to Mommy and the stuffed friends,’ it’s more like ‘let’s walk in circles around the house hunting for a Heffalump and talking non-stop.’ And when Charlie gets tired of walking in circles or being told what to do, they start fighting. And I start looking into listing them on eBay.
So Wade gave me a much-needed pep talk (which included a reminder that it’s okay to let Henry go off and be alone after a long day of school, and it is also okay to ask him to do one thing–like read a small story–in order to earn the priviledge of doing something else–like hunting Heffalumps). I love that man.
But! Today! I was the best mommy in the world! For an hour, at least.
Henry has decided that he’s all about Egypt. Just today! Just this afternoon, in fact. We stopped at the bookstore on our way to get Charlie, and he picked up this book. When Charlie got in the car, Henry said, ‘Charlie, when we get home, we’re going to play Ancient Egypt. You can wear sandals or be baretoes. What do you want to do?’ And I though, oh god, my head is going to fall off.
And then I had a Miracle Mommy Moment: we would make mummies! And a tomb! It would fill the time until Daddy came home, or at least until Clifford came on.
The boys each mummified a stuffed toy–Charlie chose Hedwig the Owl, and Henry picked SuperBear, his U. S. Open commemorative beanie bear. We wrapped them in toilet paper and made death masks for them and decorated them with stickers.
We put the tent up in Charlie’s room and I asked the boys what they thought Hedwig and SuperBear might need in the Next Life. ‘BOOKS!’ Charlie yelled, gathering up a pile. ‘Flashlights,’ Henry said, ‘in case it’s dark.’ They piled in plastic food and the pillows and blankets from Charlie’s bed, and their superheros, ‘to guard the tomb.’ And Charlie threw the LeapPad in, saying solemnly, ‘They might want their laptop.’ Smart boy, that one.
When we interred the mummies, Charlie pretty much just plunked Hedwig down on the floor, but Henry made a little bed for SuperBear and tucked him in with Charlie’s fleece binkit, ’so he doesn’t get cold.’ And for one shining moment, I was the World’s Best Mommy.
Then we sat down for our snack and Henry put his foot up on the table and I said, ‘No feet on the table, please,’ and then Charlie put HIS foot on the table and I said, ‘NO FEET ON THE TABLE, PLEASE‘ and the moment was over. Sigh.
All in all, though, I would call today a success.
Posted by Susan @ 4:05 pm • Uncategorized
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February 23rd, 2006 at 5:19 pm, mom on a wire Says:
I bow to thy creativity, oh magnificent mommy one!
February 23rd, 2006 at 5:22 pm, Candace Says:
Oh! Christopher has that book! And Dragonology and Wizardology, too! They’re incredible. One of those books can keep him occupied for, like, HOURS.
February 23rd, 2006 at 6:50 pm, Nancy Says:
Your creativity in mommyhood humbles me. Mummies with death masks AND plans for the afterlife? How do you think of these things?
And yeah. I’d so take my iBook into the sarcophagus too.
February 23rd, 2006 at 7:15 pm, L. Says:
See, that wouldn`t work in our house, because of the whole “death” angle, which would have opened that horrible can of worms on a really awkward metaphysical discussion.
Another video, anyone? Until your jaw slackens and rests on your collarbone?
February 23rd, 2006 at 7:22 pm, Kara Says:
damn! that is so cool. we will mummify all. damn. weekend.
thanks for the idea!
February 23rd, 2006 at 7:55 pm, Misfit Hausfrau Says:
Coolest.Mom.Ever.
Really.
February 23rd, 2006 at 7:59 pm, Susie Says:
OH MY GOD You are unbelievable. I wish I had been there to inter MY MUMMY. My mum never did stuff like that with me. But maybe cause she had me when she was 40, the 4th child and she was just tired.
But you. You are FUN! I need to start a file for “someday” and this goes in there.
Plus great pics of the boys. Do they get into jammies early? Before dinner?
February 23rd, 2006 at 8:59 pm, Kristen Says:
Brilliant. And just wipe the feet on table comments right out of your mind - that’s not what the boys will remember when they’re grown up - they’ll remember the mummies and their mom facilitating the coolest afternoon ever.
February 23rd, 2006 at 9:08 pm, MamaChristy Says:
I hold you as an example of “what-can-be-done-in-moments-of-desperation-and-how-great-it-can-be.” I only hope I can remember this valuable lesson when my boy is a bit bigger…
February 23rd, 2006 at 9:15 pm, Susan Says:
Yes, Susie, those are pyjamas, and they are SUMMER pyjamas, because according to Henry, that’s what Egyptians wore. And the boys put them on at 2:45 this afternoon, then got dressed again to go outside before dinner, and then put different, warmer jammies on for bed. No wonder I’m always doing laundry.
And please look carefully at Henry’s arm and admire the temporary tatto that he has had since February 13th, and that we cannot seem to get off, no matter what we try. Ha ha ha! So funny.
February 23rd, 2006 at 9:17 pm, M&Co. Says:
Actually, that strikes me as a little creepy. You and the children are practing burial rituals while Wade is gone. He might become afraid to go to sleep at night now as well as being afraid of being accosted at B&N.
February 23rd, 2006 at 9:35 pm, Bethany Says:
I don’t care what anyone says… this is good. Really good. You took art, running around the house for burial pieces, tents, and stickers all in one?
One good mom here people, one good mom!
February 23rd, 2006 at 10:45 pm, adria Says:
You are a brilliant mom!
I would have never thought of that, but now I will have to borrow this idea because Daria has a interest in pyramids and mummies.
Thank you!
February 23rd, 2006 at 11:12 pm, Chag Says:
While I’d love to try the mummy game, Zoey already has a tendency to take all the toilet paper off the roll, so this game would probably just send her over the edge.
Oh hell, it sounds like too much fun not to try! Great idea!
February 23rd, 2006 at 11:24 pm, Jack's Raging Mommy Says:
In response not to the post, but to it’s title, did you see when my laptop died? And how sad I am? And that even though I am being given a free desktop with a 250 gig harddrive I am still in mourning?
I totally get the being buried with the laptop thing.
Sigh.
February 23rd, 2006 at 11:59 pm, Liz Says:
I have to say, that was an incredible flash of brilliance that cannot be topped.
You are a flaming success.
February 24th, 2006 at 7:08 am, Mary P. Says:
This stuff makes playing FUN instead of (she lowers her voice to a whisper) booooorrriinnnggg!
Wade said exactly what I was thinking. When Henry has been forced to live in an extroverted, social world for a few hours, he probably NEEDS that alone-time to recharge and regroup. I imagine it exhausts him on some level.
Mummyfying toys in toilet paper! Hehee. Makes our mail man play we’ve been doing seem so mundane.
(Shoe box with slot, home-made postcards, and stickers for stamps.)
Way to go!
February 24th, 2006 at 8:34 am, sozzled Says:
what a wonderful way to spend an afternoon! the day my girls decided to mummify their Barbies was a highlight for me; they remain entombed in the shoebox, i mean sarcophagus, to this day. (insert evil laughter here)
February 24th, 2006 at 8:53 am, Susan Says:
Elisabeth, it sounds like the Barbies got what was coming to them–I mean, are resting peacefully.
February 24th, 2006 at 9:47 am, Franny Says:
Way to GO!!! Creative Mommy all the way!!
February 24th, 2006 at 12:40 pm, CarpeDM Says:
Wow. This is seriously cool. Love it. And the pictures were very cute.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:13 pm, Anonymous Says:
Sounds like a great day!
Re: temporary tattoos-use baby oil to remove them! I have had many successes with this method previously, and at the very least, you get the scent of baby oil!
(I have also tried rubbing alcohol-it smells bad and requires some work)
February 24th, 2006 at 1:16 pm, ieatcrayonz Says:
BWAAHAHAHAA! Brilliant! I’m surprised you didn’t zip the boys into the tent and leave though. That would have been the icing on the cake.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:33 pm, Anonymous Says:
That is way more creative than my current game which is “allow-children-to-climb-over-me-while-reading blogs.” I really must go now and find my inner, creative mummy.
February 24th, 2006 at 2:07 pm, Susan Says:
I will confess, because I like you all so much, that typical tent play at our house goes like this:
1. Set up tent.
2. Help boys load tent with stuff.
3. Help boys zip tent fly.
4. Sit on Charlie’s bed with iBook and ‘work.’
February 24th, 2006 at 7:18 pm, Suburban Turmoil Says:
That is a mind numbingly busy day. You are one great Mummy!
February 24th, 2006 at 7:21 pm, The June Cleaver Diaries Says:
YOU ROCK.
Now kindly come over and entertain MY kids, thank you.
February 24th, 2006 at 11:28 pm, Nothing But Bonfires Says:
I’ll buy ‘em on eBay. If you throw in Henry’s glasses.
February 24th, 2006 at 11:53 pm, The Daring One Says:
What a great day. You are the coolest mamma ever. I love the pictures of the mummified bears. So funny.
February 25th, 2006 at 6:23 am, karrie Says:
The lovey mummification idea is brilliant! Thanks for the laugh.
February 25th, 2006 at 11:14 am, MommyWithAttitude Says:
Wow you ARE a good mommy. My kids believe that I don’t actually know how to put up their tent… so they have to wait for Daddy to do it on the weekends.
But I might steal your mummy idea next time I’m feeling “good”
February 27th, 2006 at 12:16 am, nina Says:
Wow, constant lurker, but I just had to say…what awesomeness!