Taking The Fall
Thursday, April 26, 2007 by Amy
Riley has a renewed fascination with dirt (this happens every spring) and got her sand bucket and started to shovel dirt from Rudi's potted plant. Of course, this made quite a mess, which I wasn't happy about, but I sucked it up and vacuumed it up thoroughly. No sooner did I turn around than there was another pile of dirt by the pot. I ask Riley who did it, and she said "Avery." So I say "Avery Claire!" and Riley says "No, I did it." So I ask her to please not do it again. Then I start vacuuming again, at which time Avery takes a handful of dirt and puts it right in front of the vacuum. I notice that since the plant had been recently watered, her hands were fairly dirty from touching the dirt. So I looked at Riley's hands and they were absolutely clean. So I asked her who really made the dirt pile, and if she said that she did it so that Avery wouldn't get in trouble (how much trouble can a 16 mo old get into? What? Take away her priveleges?) and Riley said yes. So what is to be done about a lie told to protect a younger sibling? Rudi praised her for it, which I wasn't very comfortable with, but I didn't want her to get in trouble for it either. Hmmm...so I did nothing. But I was kind of proud, and I think Riley picked up on that.
It is supposed to be in the 70s and 80s this weekend. I am planning on taking the girls to the Kite & Wind Festival on Saturday. Looks like perfect weather, and Riley was been really eager to fly her kites. I want to take the kids to the zoo on Sunday, but probably should wait until Monday or Tuesday so that Rudi can come. Since it is a mountain zoo, some of the areas are quite up-hill and knowing my luck both girls will probably want to be carried. Plus there's some new exhibit that Rudi wants to see. Once we get the initial visit out of the way, I'll be more comfortable taking the girls myself just to feed the giraffes and see the favorites.
So Avery has been a special kind of difficult lately. Whiny and attached to my leg like velcro. I think this is the storm before she starts really talking. When uh-uh-eh and screaming don't produce the desired result. Listening to Avery try to talk is like listening to Pres. Bush trying to talk...painfully annoying. For such a small package, she has one huge attitude and a scream to wake the dead.
I had another interesting conversation with Riley:
Riley: I want to go to 7-Eleven.
Me: I'd really like to take you, but Mommy and Daddy just really don't have the money right now.
Riley: But I want to go.
Me: I know, honey.
(several minutes later, Riley is playing with the floor lamp)
Riley: Why is this lamp wobbly?
Me: Because it's a cheap lamp.
Riley: What is "cheap?"
Me: I means that the lamp didn't cost a lot of money.
Riley: Why didn't it cost a lot of money?
Me: Because Mommy and Daddy didn't want to spend all of our money on a lamp. We wanted some money left over to buy other things.
Riley: If you didn't spend all your money on the lamp, you should have some left to take me to 7-Eleven.
That's pretty strong logic for a three-year-old. I really look forward to the teen years...I already feel pretty stupid when I'm around Riley. I'm not saying at all that she's some intellectual giant, but I can tell that she's smarter than me, that her natural capacity for intelligence is greater than mine. Which I guess is what parents are supposed to want...
It is supposed to be in the 70s and 80s this weekend. I am planning on taking the girls to the Kite & Wind Festival on Saturday. Looks like perfect weather, and Riley was been really eager to fly her kites. I want to take the kids to the zoo on Sunday, but probably should wait until Monday or Tuesday so that Rudi can come. Since it is a mountain zoo, some of the areas are quite up-hill and knowing my luck both girls will probably want to be carried. Plus there's some new exhibit that Rudi wants to see. Once we get the initial visit out of the way, I'll be more comfortable taking the girls myself just to feed the giraffes and see the favorites.
So Avery has been a special kind of difficult lately. Whiny and attached to my leg like velcro. I think this is the storm before she starts really talking. When uh-uh-eh and screaming don't produce the desired result. Listening to Avery try to talk is like listening to Pres. Bush trying to talk...painfully annoying. For such a small package, she has one huge attitude and a scream to wake the dead.
I had another interesting conversation with Riley:Riley: I want to go to 7-Eleven.
Me: I'd really like to take you, but Mommy and Daddy just really don't have the money right now.
Riley: But I want to go.
Me: I know, honey.
(several minutes later, Riley is playing with the floor lamp)
Riley: Why is this lamp wobbly?
Me: Because it's a cheap lamp.
Riley: What is "cheap?"
Me: I means that the lamp didn't cost a lot of money.
Riley: Why didn't it cost a lot of money?
Me: Because Mommy and Daddy didn't want to spend all of our money on a lamp. We wanted some money left over to buy other things.
Riley: If you didn't spend all your money on the lamp, you should have some left to take me to 7-Eleven.
That's pretty strong logic for a three-year-old. I really look forward to the teen years...I already feel pretty stupid when I'm around Riley. I'm not saying at all that she's some intellectual giant, but I can tell that she's smarter than me, that her natural capacity for intelligence is greater than mine. Which I guess is what parents are supposed to want...
