Erin was in Michigan this past week (Wednesday through Saturday) for her dad's fifth-of-eight chemo treatment.* I had Lucy all day Wednesday and Thursday (thanks to play dates and a birthday party for Emily - thank you thank you) and then both Emily and Lucy were with me on Friday. We're well enough equipped for these visits that everything goes fairly smoothly, except for the moods and challenges of little girls.
The biggest draw at our house right now, for Lucy anyway, is to watch the movie Thumbelina. I've seen it so many times (OK, so I'm usually doing something in the kitchen or reading my Kindle) that I pretty much know exactly how much movie is left. I use it mostly as an enticement to (a) eat a good lunch (2) take a nap (3) whatever else I can do to postpone the viewing of said Thumbelina.
On Friday, Lucy was particularly fragile and whether it was allergies or the early onset of a cold, I dunno but she burst into tears at the least provocation. Substitute one sippy cup for another: screaming. She didn't get to pick which dog she let out of his/her cage: top-of-the-lungs bawling. Wanted whatever toy Emily picked to play with: copious tears and pouty lips.
After nap, she bounced out of bed, excited to see Fum-Ba-WHEEEEEEE-Na. The two girls settled into their chairs with a snack and watched the @#$$% movie while I worked on dinner. As soon as it was over, she asked to see it again.
I said: "How about Imagination Movers?"
Emily jumped at that suggestion but Lucy wanted Fum-Ba-WHEEEEEEE-Na yet again. By this time Grandpa (Ban-ha to Lucy) was home and lucky enough to witness the mayhem. Lucy wailed, repeating time and again how she wanted to see Fum-Ba-WHEEEEEEE-Na. Emily finally decided she wanted to help me in the kitchen instead so we restarted Thumbelina. The wailing did not stop and Lucy shortly tottled into the kitchen sobbing. Remember that Thumbelina was playing all this time.
"What's the matter, why aren't you watching Thumbelina?"
More wailing. No talking, just high pitched wailing.
Ban-ha: "Lucy, if you don't stop crying, we're going to put on Imagination Movers."
Increased wailing. Time passes very very slowly. Still wailing.
Me, as an aside to Ban-ha: "Welcome to my world, honey."
Ban-ha: "All right then, if you're not going to stop I'm going to stop Thumbelina so Emily can watch Imagination Movers."
Lucy: "NOoooooooooooooooooo!" and more wailing.
Ban-ha, who drives a school bus and deals with irrational children all day long (God bless him) says in his bus driver tone: "That's it, we're gonna put on Imagination Movers."
Still more wailing. Daddy arrives for dinner and to pick up girls . Lucy is red faced, snot flowing everywhere and tears pouring down her cheeks. We share a knowing smile over her head.
Me: "Hi daddy!"
Emily was quietly watching Imagination Movers (another show that makes me want to poke sharp things into my ears and eyes) and Lucy eventually joined her. The sniffling slowly abated but the wailing stopped, thank the Lord. Another two episodes of two-year-oldness during dinner and they were on their way home.
*Erin's dad Gerry (my ex-husband) was diagnosed with lymphoma December 27th. Pretty much a holiday-wrecker all around. Luckily he has responded well to the every-three-week chemo regimen and the tumor has shrunk from 18 centimeters (about the length of a nerf football) to about eight millimeters (the size of a pencil eraser) now. Yeay.
2 comments:
That's quite a difference between a nerf football and a pencil eraser. Glad that is going so well.
I'm with you on the whole poking-sharp-things-into-my-ears thing. I dislike the Movers in the worst way. They were fine at first, but after having to listen to them in the car for hours on end, my love turned to loathing.
My kids don't watch television programs anymore (aside from the occasional Phineas and Ferb) because a) they are never here (thank goodness for school!!) and b) I can't stand the shows.
On the rare occasion that Janna and I are actually home in the mornings, we watch Tinkerbell. Girlfriend is enthralled with it, and it's one of the few movies I can stomach! Quiet-time ends at 4:30, and we spend the rest of the evening watching Up (which is actually one of my faves).
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