Friday, March 27, 2009

Creative Chronology

Yesterday Jarrah melted down on the way home from her ballet lesson. That's not unusual--sometimes she doesn't wait until afterwards and melts down during the class, which is definitely more embarrassing for me. I can't really blame her--it's late in the afternoon, she's been in school all day minding her p's and q's, and she's hungry. I try to be understanding. This time, she freaked out when we left the playground adjacent to the rec center, and clung to my leg to stop me from walking, screaming, "I DON'T LIKE YOU MESSING UP MY FUN!" That was a good one, and I did laugh, trying not to let her see.

Since she was so busy screaming, she didn't see the curb in front of her, and fell over it. After I helped her up, she screamed even louder, and I saw why: she'd torn a hole in the knee of her red ballet tights: the ones I'd finally remembered to pay the teacher for that day. Sigh. Can you darn lycra tights?

Once in the car, the screaming turned to indignant sniffling, and I gripped the wheel, willing there to be no traffic because quite frankly, I am exhausted (rehearsal every night until almost 11:00 this week, not sleeping enough or well) and was starving (I get a serious 4:00 sugar drop that changes my personality.) It was in this state of mind the following conversation took place:

Jarrah: (wailing) Mommy! Mooooommmmy! I've had a hard week! A haaaarrrrrd week! Sometimes I have a hard week!

Sam: Mmmmmm.

Jarrah: (repeat several times) Mommy! Did you hear me say I've had a HAAAARRRRD week?

Sam: (snapping) You know what? You haven't had a hard week. You've had a very nice week. Monday you had friends over after school and tore the house apart for hours. Tuesday you got to go to T-ball with Nathan and have your favorite dinner at their house. Wednesday, TT came to play with you when I was at rehearsal. And today you had ballet and fro-yo. So I don't really see what's so hard about your week.

Short silence. I congratulate myself on my honesty, my directness, my getting through the force-field of pre-school narcissism.

Jarrah: But that was AGES ago! AGES!

Sam: (wailing now) It was YESTERDAY!

Jarrah: That was AGES ago! And I'm having a hard week!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, I feel for you. Jared has a similar meltdown process. It's disturbing and always seems to hit when I am down to my last bit of patience.

Also, I have no idea where she gets her flair for hyperbole. ;)

xoxox,

Robyn

Myrnie said...

Ah, poor child! I'm really feeling her pain ;o)

katydidnot said...

i love that you're not above wailing back. and what is a fro-yo? because hello? i need one.

Jen said...

How completely adorable--both of you!

Miss J

Jen said...

p.s. I'm going to start using "I DON'T LIKE YOU MESSING UP MY FUN!" Think of all the occasions when that little phrase would come in handy!

erin said...

Jeremiah says I use 'Creative Chronology', especially since I say 'I just turned 27' all year round.

Amanda said...

ohhhh Jarrah!! Life flies by I guess, even for little ones!

that was adorable!

We have those days too. Breanna has gymnastics on Thurs nights and those are out roughest nights. She loves her "nastics" though!

dena said...

"But that was AGES ago! AGES!"

I think most of us can relate to that. Poor little thing was caught up in the moment, having a hard time thinking back (even a day) to when life was good.

Jarrah just has an awfully darn cute way of conveying her displeasures in life!