We had a tiny enormous miracle this week, the sort where I remind myself that if it could happen once then it might happen a second time. The background... Sarah and I had some rough moments together on Wednesday. It started when she went to get dressed that morning, the first morning that pants (rather than shorts) were required for school. But there were no khaki pants in the drawer. I can’t for the life of me figure out where they could have gone, unless we somehow accidentally gave them away when we were getting rid of lots of things that no longer fit. Except these pants still fit. And I am prepared. I am not the person that this situation happens to! But, here we were. Sarah, who had been complaining that she wanted to wear shorts, suddenly switched to desperate screaming and crying because she wanted the khaki pants. The bus was due in about 15 minutes. I looked everywhere I could think of to no avail. Eventually we calmed enough and she wore her gym sweatpants, even though it wasn’t her gym day. She was ready for the bus, minus hair and teeth brushing. I tried to order more pants from Target, but they don’t have them in her size at this time of year. I ordered some from amazon, but she has yet to try them on. I went to a used clothing store and they had none in her size. Her teacher sent home the back-up pair from school. So we have one pair. Her extra gym sweatpants are now the backup school pants. This was our first rough moment.
The second rough time was when it was time to get Amy, and Sarah wanted to wear her fall coat but was struggling with the snaps and not accepting help but also not leaving and we needed to leave to get Amy. Timing isn’t ample on Wednesday between getting Amy from Girls on the Run and getting the girls home, fed, and dressed for gymnastics and then off to gymnastics. So I wasn’t at my most relaxed and neither was Sarah. But we made it. We even had some good follow-up discussion and snuggles. After gymnastics when the girls were getting ready for bed, Sarah was again having a hard time. She was trying to use my toothbrush and being rough with things in the bathroom and spitting and fake laughing. Carl and I were trying to get her to just brush her teeth and stop with the other things. We said the things we often say about pointing out the choices she was making and how all she needed to do to change things was put the toothpaste down gently. The miracle? She did! She totally, instantly changed her energy. She put the toothpaste back normally. She stopped spitting and laughing. She just brushed her teeth. We celebrated her hugely, saying how proud we were of her. Amy gave her a huge hug. Really, this was an enormous tiny moment.
Amy didn’t have school on Monday or Tuesday. I didn’t see any clients and we had a great time hanging out together. It was the perfect way to ease back into being on this side of the Pond.
Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop are visiting this weekend. We are having a lovely time. The girls love to play pretend with Mom-Mom, though sometimes they disagree on what pretend scenario is occurring. Sarah wanted to play in the snow. Amy corrected her that they were going to play in a camper. I love how seriously they take their pretend scenes.. We all (except Sarah) wanted to go for a walk yesterday. Sarah likes signs that have a circle and a line indicating that something isn’t allowed. Earlier in the day, Amy made a sign to say “No dancing penguins wearing pink diapers.” You should see Sarah’s dancing as she pretends to be a penguin in a pink diaper! It is hilariously fantastic. So, to encourage Sarah to go on a walk, Amy drew a picture of Sarah in her coat and pants, with a line over them to say “No Sarah dressed in warm clothing going outside.” It didn’t work, although Carl did eventually persuade her to go outside for a little while.
Amy and Mom-Mom were snuggled on the sofa, each doing their own thing. Amy wrote a letter to Sarah, who was sitting a couple of feet away looking at a photo book. Amy’s letter read, “Dear Sarah, Would you please come and visit me? Mom-Mom is visiting and she won’t see you intill Chrismes, and that is soooo far away. So please will you come and see me? Answer here __________. Love, Amy.”
May your inner penguin wearing a pink diaper have a lovely time dancing today.
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