What I did this evening (or, why I am grumpy today)
Back story: yesterday, I went to get my 4 year old (hereafter known as HM) from her friend's house. The friend had a package that had arrived, probably for her very recent birthday. Her mother was, sensibly, trying to keep her from opening it while we were there.
The girls discovered it and wanted to open it (of course) and we moms (idiots, both) said OK. It contained not a birthday present, but an advent calendar. You know, the kind with 24 little doors and a chocolate treat behind each one. They opened four doors, each of us ate a piece of (extremely waxy) chocolate. All was OK.
HM said she wanted a calendar, just like her friend. We were headed to a store that usually has them, so I said we'd look. Of course, it being December 5, they were out already. HM was sad, and asked if we could find her one somewhere else. I told her I'd look the next day.
This evening:
I get home from work just before 7 pm. First thing she asks me is "did you find one for me, just like X's?" No, I say, I looked (um... I forgot.. but she doesn't need to know that) but I couldn't find one. She is heartbroken. Really and truly heartbroken. Not her usual 4-year-old-drama-queen sort of heartbroken, but achingly sad. Tears slowly leaking from her eyes. Just sad sad sad.
I had some other errands I wanted to run, so I told her that after she went to bed, I'd go on a hunt. She was clearly insanely tired and almost falling asleep at 7, so I thought I'd get her down early (around 8) and would head out to do some no-crowds, all alone, shopping.
She keeps leaking tears. She is quiet and sad and occasionally just sort of leaks a tear or two and asks me to find her a calendar like her friend's. I finally agree to leave before she is asleep, leaving her father to put her to bed.
[insert ominous music here]
I leave at about 8:15. Fill gas tank. Try craft store, no luck. Get to mall. Target is open until 11, other stores close at 9. It is 8:47. Head to Cost Plus. Look everywhere, finally ask actual store employee. No, he says, we sold our last one last night.
Target. They have some strange thing that claims to be an advent garland. I have no idea what that is, but it contains chocolate and has the numbers 1-24 on it, so I decide that I will buy it (for the outrageous sum of $9.99). If need be, I will fit the front with a piece of cardboard, I will cut doors, I will stick on decoratey-things I can cut from magazines and Christmas wrapping paper. She will never see the difference.
Clearly, by this time I am getting delusional.
As I am getting to my car, my cell phone rings. It is DH calling. I think: "he had best be calling to tell me that she is asleep, because she was insanely tired at 8 pm and it is now 9:30."
He is not calling to tell me that. He is calling to tell me that she is still awake, and to see how I am doing on this lunatic quest. HM gets on the phone and asks if I have found anything. Thinking that the looney craft idea just might not work out, I tell her I have not. I tell her she should be asleep. I tell her to go to sleep. She says OK. I tell DH that she should have been asleep an hour ago, at least. He says he tried, but (and I quote) "she is keeping me awake." I hang up and imagine ways to kill DH in his sleep.
I head to a local store called Fred Meyer. They have everything--- sort of like Wal Mart, maybe, but without the slave labor and driving all other local businesses out of town. They do not, however, have any more advent calendars. As I am leaving, I see Walgreens across the street. Walgreens is still open, and they have a lot of Christmas stuff. I head to Walgreens. I walk every aisle of Christmas stuff and I am about to give up when I see, on the top shelf, a box of advent calendars. Right size. Right kind of doors. Picture of Santa. $1.99.
I am in love with Walgreens. I hand them the last $2 in my wallet and head home.
Walk in front door. Put down bags. Pee (which I have needed to do for at least 3 stores). Then I hear HM call to me, asking if I found it.
Holy crap. At this point, it is after 10 pm and she is still awake. I go upstairs to find her (no surprise) in bed with her father. Which is how she can be keeping him awake, as he sees it.
I tell her that I will show her the damned calendar in her room. She runs to her room. I let her open one window. I do not let her eat the chocolate. I tell her to go to sleep. She says she will try.
DH says that he tried everything: reading to her, lying down with her, yelling at her. Nothing worked. I tell him that it isn't all that difficult, and that he had best start to figure out how to get her to go to sleep (a task I can accomplish in less than 10 minutes most every night). He is miffed. I am livid. HM is still awake, asking for a story.
I read her half a story, then tell her I am done and she needs to go to sleep. 10 minutes later, she calls out that she needs to pee. Down to the toilet, then back up. 5 minutes after that I sneeze and she calls out "bless you!" and I think that I just might scream. DH is, of course, fast asleep at this point.
At least the chocolate in the advent garland isn't too waxy. Not too waxy at all.
The girls discovered it and wanted to open it (of course) and we moms (idiots, both) said OK. It contained not a birthday present, but an advent calendar. You know, the kind with 24 little doors and a chocolate treat behind each one. They opened four doors, each of us ate a piece of (extremely waxy) chocolate. All was OK.
HM said she wanted a calendar, just like her friend. We were headed to a store that usually has them, so I said we'd look. Of course, it being December 5, they were out already. HM was sad, and asked if we could find her one somewhere else. I told her I'd look the next day.
This evening:
I get home from work just before 7 pm. First thing she asks me is "did you find one for me, just like X's?" No, I say, I looked (um... I forgot.. but she doesn't need to know that) but I couldn't find one. She is heartbroken. Really and truly heartbroken. Not her usual 4-year-old-drama-queen sort of heartbroken, but achingly sad. Tears slowly leaking from her eyes. Just sad sad sad.
I had some other errands I wanted to run, so I told her that after she went to bed, I'd go on a hunt. She was clearly insanely tired and almost falling asleep at 7, so I thought I'd get her down early (around 8) and would head out to do some no-crowds, all alone, shopping.
She keeps leaking tears. She is quiet and sad and occasionally just sort of leaks a tear or two and asks me to find her a calendar like her friend's. I finally agree to leave before she is asleep, leaving her father to put her to bed.
[insert ominous music here]
I leave at about 8:15. Fill gas tank. Try craft store, no luck. Get to mall. Target is open until 11, other stores close at 9. It is 8:47. Head to Cost Plus. Look everywhere, finally ask actual store employee. No, he says, we sold our last one last night.
Target. They have some strange thing that claims to be an advent garland. I have no idea what that is, but it contains chocolate and has the numbers 1-24 on it, so I decide that I will buy it (for the outrageous sum of $9.99). If need be, I will fit the front with a piece of cardboard, I will cut doors, I will stick on decoratey-things I can cut from magazines and Christmas wrapping paper. She will never see the difference.
Clearly, by this time I am getting delusional.
As I am getting to my car, my cell phone rings. It is DH calling. I think: "he had best be calling to tell me that she is asleep, because she was insanely tired at 8 pm and it is now 9:30."
He is not calling to tell me that. He is calling to tell me that she is still awake, and to see how I am doing on this lunatic quest. HM gets on the phone and asks if I have found anything. Thinking that the looney craft idea just might not work out, I tell her I have not. I tell her she should be asleep. I tell her to go to sleep. She says OK. I tell DH that she should have been asleep an hour ago, at least. He says he tried, but (and I quote) "she is keeping me awake." I hang up and imagine ways to kill DH in his sleep.
I head to a local store called Fred Meyer. They have everything--- sort of like Wal Mart, maybe, but without the slave labor and driving all other local businesses out of town. They do not, however, have any more advent calendars. As I am leaving, I see Walgreens across the street. Walgreens is still open, and they have a lot of Christmas stuff. I head to Walgreens. I walk every aisle of Christmas stuff and I am about to give up when I see, on the top shelf, a box of advent calendars. Right size. Right kind of doors. Picture of Santa. $1.99.
I am in love with Walgreens. I hand them the last $2 in my wallet and head home.
Walk in front door. Put down bags. Pee (which I have needed to do for at least 3 stores). Then I hear HM call to me, asking if I found it.
Holy crap. At this point, it is after 10 pm and she is still awake. I go upstairs to find her (no surprise) in bed with her father. Which is how she can be keeping him awake, as he sees it.
I tell her that I will show her the damned calendar in her room. She runs to her room. I let her open one window. I do not let her eat the chocolate. I tell her to go to sleep. She says she will try.
DH says that he tried everything: reading to her, lying down with her, yelling at her. Nothing worked. I tell him that it isn't all that difficult, and that he had best start to figure out how to get her to go to sleep (a task I can accomplish in less than 10 minutes most every night). He is miffed. I am livid. HM is still awake, asking for a story.
I read her half a story, then tell her I am done and she needs to go to sleep. 10 minutes later, she calls out that she needs to pee. Down to the toilet, then back up. 5 minutes after that I sneeze and she calls out "bless you!" and I think that I just might scream. DH is, of course, fast asleep at this point.
At least the chocolate in the advent garland isn't too waxy. Not too waxy at all.
posted by Lizard at 6:18 AM
7 Comments:
What a night!
Kids are a bit squirrelly this time of year, aren't they? Chocolate's not my thing, but I'm glad you found some not too waxy solace in the advent garland. (Advent garland? What the heck is that?)
ah, the dreaded Advent Garland. Turned out to be a piece of gold string with 24 numbered "blossoms" attached. Each blossom opened to reveal a star of chocolate and a piece of paper quite reminiscent of a fortune cookie fortune. Pieces of paper contain noxious advice like "Spend time with friends and family during the holiday!"
the chocolate is pretty good, though.
Oh honey the things we do for our little ones.
Girl you had me rolling when your man was complaining about the little one keeping him up, hah. That poor baby, meaning your little one, would never get any sleep if daddy were putting her to bed nightly.
And the having to pee for three stores, hehehe, yep, been there, done that.
I loved this post and I’m glad you got to test the chocolate, Lord knows after all that runnin’ around you deserved it!
How sweet is that? Your little girl must think you are the most wonderful mommy in the world.
Did y'all know that was Lizard's first blog post ever? Marvelous job!
Right on Lizard, right on!
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