A Summer Day - Part 2



Read about the first half of our day here.

Thus begins the crying stage of the day.  A nap, you say?!  Never! 

“I no need a nap.  Ever.  World.”  She breaks down.  I push Durham back to the car.  Ainsley follows as slowly as she can without getting so far behind that she would be scared. 

“Mama, you need to carry me.”  Carry her AND push the stroller?  No.  She is forced to walk the remaining 30 feet to the car.  In agony.

I finish putting the bags, blankets, stroller and Durham into the car.  Ainsley has decided to run away from me to thwart naptime. 

Let’s just say that didn’t end well for her and leave it at that.  Thank you, Mom, for taking us to the park.  We loved it. 

I drive home with two screaming children.  Past Zehnder’s and their pie cookies.  To my messy house.  With two screaming children.  Did I mention they are both screaming?

Lucky for me, they seem to have screamed themselves sleepy.  I take Ainsley out of her carseat first and direct her to go inside and take her shoes off.  She walks inside the house, crying the whole way.  I then take Durham in and lay him on the floor, screaming.  I unload all the supplies in the car and go back inside to find that Durham is asleep and Ainsley is naked.  And I still haven’t done my hair. 

I convince Ainsley to at least put on some underpants.  We all get into Mama’s bed and take a one hour snooze to forget the torture of the picnic at the park.

Finally do my hair or take a nap?  Easy choice.  Zzzzzzz.

It only lasted one hour because Ainsley woke up and started crying.  She got out of bed and ran up and down the hallway no less than four times, crying the whole time.  I live in crazy town.  She then lay on the floor and cried.

What just happened?!

“I want my Mama home!”  My replies that I was home brought about more tears.  No amount of comforting would get her to stop, so I decided to snuggle with my other, not-so-distraught child.  I got Ainsley a cheese stick and some water. 

At this point the crying moves to a more comfortable position on the couch.

This brought on increased crying.  She did not want a cheese stick or water.  She wanted another chocolate poptart and juice.  Sheesh.  I wouldn’t’ budge on the snack, so it sat there taunting her as she cried.  

Foul, offensive objects.

She had to get up to wipe her nose a few times.  This was also traumatic as I requested that she throw away the used tissue she had deposited on the floor. 

Her life is over.  Clearly.

Disney makes it all better.  Kinda.

I live in crazytown.

I decided to just let her cry it out as she watched television, because Durham was hungry.  He got changed and fed, and I repacked our bags again.  It was time to go to Bryce’s ballgame here in town. 

Time to carry three freshly packed bags and two small children to the car.  Put them in carseats.  Remember the wallet and phone.  Drive to the ballpark.  Have I mentioned that my hair is still not done?  I did get two naps though.  In the end, it’s a fair exchange.

We get to the ballpark to watch Bryce play.  I park and attempt to pack up the stroller and unbuckle my two lovely children. 

Not another park?!  My life.  

And then she saw it.

That filthy, wooden, area of wonder and excitement.  Kid’s Kingdom was right there in her grasp.  But Mama made her go the ballgame to watch her family.  Ainsley is convinced that her Mama is the meanest being alive.  She even goes so far as to give me the silent treatment.  This is pretty amazing coming from Chatty Cathy. 

When we get closer to the park, she spots Drew and immediately decides to walk with him and not her evil mother.  She’s not even a teenager yet. 

The ballgame goes pretty well though.  Aunt Sherri and Drew help to entertain my two rascals, Ainsley’s mood turns around, and Durham throws up on everyone that holds him. 

She even came up to me and said, “May I have a chip, please?”

This was before he puked on her.  

Yes, my angel-child.  You may have a chip and anything else your heart desires.  What?  You say you want to go to McDonalds’s to play in their play area.  Yes!  She and I are two bipolar peas in a pod. 

Happily eating her Apple Straws.

After the game, we all head to McDonald’s.  The whole car ride there Ainsley needs reassuring that I’m not going to turn the car and head home. 

“Is this Zehnder Drive?  I don’t like Zehnder Drive.  I like McDonald’s.  I play and then eat, Mama.”

Who taught this child her address? 

She arrives, eats, plays, and has a merry ol’ time.  Her cousins help her climb up into the belly of the play-beast built for their enjoyment.  She goes down the slide.  Durham is held by one family member and then another.  Potty trips for everyone. 

Uncle Adam helping out.

"I wasn't even scared!"

Busily picking up puffs.

We go home.  I unpack everything from the car, unbuckle both my children and turn on Rapunzel.  Ainsley is glued to the television while I bathe, feed, and put Durham to bed. 

Clean and happy.  

One down, one to go.

She then gets a bath.

“Durham is Buzz.  Mama is Woody.  I the Chicken Man.”

“The water hurts my eyes!  Towel!”

"I can't wash myself.  You do it.  I too scared."

"I need new toothpaste.  This is too old."

During the bath, book number negotiations begin.  We settle on three.  After pajamas, hair combing, and tooth brushing, we read our three books.  She has chosen Tinker Bell, The Jolly Barnyard, and the Pokey Little Puppy. 

Are we book-reading or squirreling?  

We read them and say our prayers.  Tonight she chooses to pray for Jesus, Wrigley, her cousins, and ducks.  I am convinced that she is the sweetest, most wonderful child anyone could ever hope for. 

World.  Ever.