Yesterday we had a family outing to Target (yes, Alyson & Courtney, you heard right.) Alan had shopped for me and we were making returns & exchanges. I have decided that letting Alan buy clothes for me is a good bet. He picks out stuff I'd never even look at--mostly because it's not on the sale rack--and he has a good sense of style.
We entered the store and Evelyn was agog. She kept looking around saying, "THIS is TARGET? It's so BEAUTIFUL! I've never been HERE before! It's so BEAUTIFUL!" (You Target shoppers are LOVING this right now.) I just keep lengthening the list of things I said I'd never do as a parent: let them watch TV (public television, of course, but plenty of it), feed them in the car, bribe them w/dessert, and NOW, taking them shopping at a giant chain store.
Afterwards in the car the girls wanted a sip of my Diet Coke. (I know, I gave up Diet Coke last September, but I let myself have them on special occasions. For me, shopping for clothes and actually BUYING some is VERY special. Just ask my mom.) I told them they could have some soda at a red light. Evelyn was fine. Amelia, however, ramped up her volume and screamed, "I WAN SOME DINK NOWWW!!!"
Using my firm & serious mommy voice, I said, "Amelia, you may not ask for things in that way. You need to say, 'Mommy, may I have some drink, please?'"
"Yes."
My next attempt: "Amelia, I'd like YOU to say this: 'May I have some drink, please?'"
"Sore." (Sure.)
"Amelia, say THIS: 'Drink, please, Mommy.'"
"Ok."
Alan is convinced she does this on purpose. I don't know. I DID get her to repeat, "please," ("peas") to get a sip of the Diet Coke.
Later, on the way home from Bible study, Amelia was silent through an entire conversation Evelyn had with the moon. I played the role of "Mr. Moon," and he and Evelyn talked all the way home. Upon arrival she ran around the house to find the window from which she could wave goodnight to him. It reminded me of drives home at night from the Ranch when we were kids and my mom would personify the little light on the dash that came on when she used her high beams. He would have to mysteriously leave now and then (I'm not sure we noticed that it was in the face on oncoming traffic), and he would have to go for good once we hit the interstate. Memories like this renew my determination NOT to buy that DVD player for the car from Target. :)
4 comments:
Welcome to the wonderful world of parenthood my friend. The list of doing the "I'm not going to do...." just continues to grow as long as you continue to say them. Everytime you say, "I'm not going to let my child do....", it comes back to bite you in the butt. So, it is better to just hang on and go for the ride.
I am now going to think of Evelyn everytime I walk into Target.
Hilarious.
huh. bella = darcy. don't know how that happened...
I am so proud of you, Tina. You even went with the high fructose corn syrup carbonated beverage in hand AND offered it to the kids.
Seriously, though, I am proud of you for stretching yourself. I wish my version of stretching myself was buying clothes at Target. It is actually not buying clothes when I go to Target. Or the ever more difficult, just not going to Target. Because I am with Evelyn, filled with awe and joy every time I enter. Not really. But maybe a little. But that's ok. If there is one thing parenthood teaches us, it is not to take ourselves so seriously!
Post a Comment