The Daily Grump

Posted on Jan 21, 2010 04:33:52 PM

If this sounds like I’m just grumpy, it’s because I am.  Basically, my grumpiness stems from nothing important and nothing really based on anything….except…well unless you consider others when you make decisions….yea, I’m grumpy!

Like most school’s, our school has this monstrous parking lot issue.  There is a diagram that they hand out at orientation explaining it all.  But, the bottom line is, people start lining up at least 45 minutes before school dismisses….some even more.  And, that’s not anything for me to really be grumpy about.  But…you knew there was a but didn’t you?

But, the last 2 days I’ve been behind a parent who not only has a kid that’s too small to get in the car alone and so it requires the teacher to pick the kid up or the parent to get out and she has his car seat installed on the opposite side of the car from the sidewalk.  Why? 

Why can’t the kid get in the car on the side like every other kid in line does?  What is up with that?

And, then, today, there was this grandmotherly looking woman driving, or actually she was sitting….in the lane in which parents of children the age of my son use to leave the disaster that is The School Parking Lot.  Now, given, if she doesn’t come often or ever, then she probably doesn’t know but the parent who sent her…should have explained it because total chaos ensued. 

And that chaos had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that not only did I not take my purse (or any money basically) with me to the school to pick up my son, I didn’t get dressed (per se, I had on a t-shirt and shorts and that’s certainly not dressed), I didn’t put on any shoes and my gas light was on.  And I’m stuck in this friggin’ parking lot where someone has blocked the only outlet. 

Really, grumpy is not exactly the best word for it, but still…yea I’m grumpy.

Don’t let the diagram fool you into thinking that this is a place of pure chaos just because I can’t draw…it is pure chaos because…well that grandmotherly figure in the way and…well because my drawings can’t even depict how chaotic it really is…..but normally…it works for some reason..but not with that grandmotherly woman in the way….nope, nada…grumpy!

Clingy Babies

Posted on Jan 17, 2010 09:56:05 PM

I’m curious to know if you have a clingy baby?  What about a clingy 5 year old?

If you recall from reading here or on any of my other blogs, my children simply adore my mother.  I never had a grandparent that I was as crazy about as my kids are by my mother.  The oldest has always preferred her over me.  The youngest went through spells but he has mostly been a momma’s boy. 

But, in recent weeks, he had basically turned to his Nanny and it didn’t matter what I was doing or where I was going, he did not want to leave his Nanny’s house.  The older one as I said, has always been that way.

And then…………..

You knew that was coming, right?  And then, my mom and I had a little argument.  And, while my husband and I rarely argue, we don’t hide it from the kids at all when we disagree.  But, the arguments they’ve witnessed between my mother and I are way worse and always have been than anything they hear between my husband and I.

Since that time, both kids have asked to go to my mom’s less.  Now, my mom had a chemo treatment last Monday and she has been quite sick.  So, it’s not like they could go see her anyway, but honestly, they simply haven’t asked.  And, when the 5 year old found out that I was going out of town last Sunday (he didn’t know until Saturday), he literally walked around the house holding on to my pants leg.

By Sunday when I left, I was upset terribly because it was obvious he too was bothered.  When I returned, they were both just head over heels with joy to see me (needless to say, I went on many trips last year and they never acted this way at all). Neither of them asked to go to my mom’s at all this week.  Not.at.all.

They did go to church with her today as usual but last Sunday when they knew I was leaving that afternoon, neither of them went.  I couldn’t tell you the last time they chose to stay home instead of go anywhere with my mother. 

I don’t mean this disrespectful at all and I certainly hope that my children forget about the argument soon.  I don’t want my children to have bad feelings toward my mom. 

Our kids go to bed in their own beds but migrate to ours during the night.  And this past week, the 5 year old will wake up if I get up to go to the bathroom to ask me where I’m going.  And, many times, too many too count, he has twirled my hair in his sleep and just repeated “mommy, mommy”.  He hasn’t called me “mommy” in a long time. 

I have to say that having a clingy 5 year old is no where near like having a clingy toddler but I do hope that he gets his confidence back soon.  He doesn’t seem to be too bothered to do things like go to basketball practice with his dad without me but yesterday when they went to the game early to have photos, he asked multiple times if I would be there by game time. 

So, I wonder…anyone have any thoughts on this?