"I'm going to stay up all night until I fall asleep!" shared Natalie.
Me: "You were so brave today selling cookies door to door. I am so proud of you!"
Natalie: "Nah...selling cookies is not being brave, Mom. Maybe if I had helped someone from an avalanche -- now that would be brave."
Natalie: "Mom, you have to stop making hair bows."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Natalie: "Whenever I wear them people think I'm cute. I don't want to be cute! I am going to look silly on stage singing -- though my hair is perfect -- these hair bows are ruining it!"
Me: "I think people like cute."
Natalie: "Mom, little boys don't like cute."
Me: "They don't? What do you think they like?"
Natalie: "Rock n'roll" (her voice going up an octave at the end as in "duh, Mom")
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Growing Pains
Saturday was "Cookie Go Day" for the Girl Scouts and my little kindergartner was all too happy to put on her Daisy smile to sell, sell, sell. Actually, she has been looking forward to this moment for nearly two years. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because she has seen me purchase cookies from girls in the past and perceives it as a "big girl" thing to do. Lord knows she just wants to be older. In fact, she still hasn't forgiven me for having Noah first. "Why do I have to be the youngest in our family?!" she has whined to me on more than one occasion.
She allowed me to tag along on her selling excursion, but I had to remain on the sidewalk. Although the weather was unseasonably warm (60 degrees!), I felt chilled and a small knot in my stomach. Each time she knocked on a door I thought -- Will she make a sale? How will she handle rejection? (or better yet, how will I?) For many folks, her toothless grin and bright blue Daisy smock were enough to close the deal, but I believe it was her selling tactics that earned her some big sales. My smart cookie (no pun intended) made sure to know her product and even made suggestions by saying things like, "I like the Fin Mints and Fanks-A-Lot the best," and "We have a new cookie, Mango Creme -- but it's not very good."
So, the first time I saw someone shake their head no at her, I felt a small pang in my chest. As she walked toward me she said, "They didn't want any cookies,".
"That's ok. Don't worry. It's not you, they just may not like cookies," I shared while putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Yeah, I know," she answered then happily skipped on to the next house confident about making another sale.
As a parent sometimes all you want to do is put your kid in a bubble and protect them from sadness and disappointment and even failure. But, like Dory shared in the movie, Finding Nemo -- "Well, you can't never let anything happen to him. Then, nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo."
She allowed me to tag along on her selling excursion, but I had to remain on the sidewalk. Although the weather was unseasonably warm (60 degrees!), I felt chilled and a small knot in my stomach. Each time she knocked on a door I thought -- Will she make a sale? How will she handle rejection? (or better yet, how will I?) For many folks, her toothless grin and bright blue Daisy smock were enough to close the deal, but I believe it was her selling tactics that earned her some big sales. My smart cookie (no pun intended) made sure to know her product and even made suggestions by saying things like, "I like the Fin Mints and Fanks-A-Lot the best," and "We have a new cookie, Mango Creme -- but it's not very good."
So, the first time I saw someone shake their head no at her, I felt a small pang in my chest. As she walked toward me she said, "They didn't want any cookies,".
"That's ok. Don't worry. It's not you, they just may not like cookies," I shared while putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Yeah, I know," she answered then happily skipped on to the next house confident about making another sale.
As a parent sometimes all you want to do is put your kid in a bubble and protect them from sadness and disappointment and even failure. But, like Dory shared in the movie, Finding Nemo -- "Well, you can't never let anything happen to him. Then, nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo."
I guess that's why they call them growing pains...I just never knew most of mine would come from raising kids.
 |
| 70 boxes and counting! She has set a goal for herself to sell 120. |
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Deep Thoughts From Noah #17
Noah: "I don't understand why we are going to an Italian restaurant."
Me: "Because the food is delicious. They have pizza. You like pizza."
Noah: "No. An Italian restaurant is only for Italian people. I can't eat at an Italian restaurant...I'm English."
Me: "You speak English, but you aren't English. Actually you are more German than anything," I explained.
Noah: "Huh?!" Noah shrieked.
(this was more information than his little computer brain could compute.)
Me: "Because the food is delicious. They have pizza. You like pizza."
Noah: "No. An Italian restaurant is only for Italian people. I can't eat at an Italian restaurant...I'm English."
Me: "You speak English, but you aren't English. Actually you are more German than anything," I explained.
Noah: "Huh?!" Noah shrieked.
(this was more information than his little computer brain could compute.)
Thursday, January 10, 2013
I Know What You Mean #12
"Mom, did you buy any sweeties at the store?" asked Natalie
Hmmm...I think she meant cuties.
"Mom, my nose is stuck, I can't smell a thing!" shared Natalie
Hmmm...I think she meant her nose was stuffed.
"Mom, are you a democrap?" asked Noah.
Hmmm...I think he meant democrat.
Hmmm...I think she meant cuties.
"Mom, my nose is stuck, I can't smell a thing!" shared Natalie
Hmmm...I think she meant her nose was stuffed.
"Mom, are you a democrap?" asked Noah.
Hmmm...I think he meant democrat.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Musings from Natalie #29
Natalie: "Mom, I just love animals. When I grow up I want to work outside with animals and be Mother Nature."
Natalie: "Mom, I miss the old days."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Natalie: "Preschool and show n'tell."
(Yeah, I miss being carded and having 20 year old skin!)
Natalie: "Mom, yellow is now my favorite color because it is important."
Me: "Hmmm...what makes it important?"
Natalie: "Because the sun is yellow and light is very, very important, but so is gray -- gray is an important color, too because elephants are gray."
Natalie: "Mom, sometimes your eyes look weird."
Me: "Weird? How do you mean?"
Natalie: "Well, sometimes they look like grandpa's with wrinkles in the corner."
(Great...I'm not only getting older, I'm getting weirder, too)
Natalie: "Mom, I miss the old days."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Natalie: "Preschool and show n'tell."
(Yeah, I miss being carded and having 20 year old skin!)
Natalie: "Mom, yellow is now my favorite color because it is important."
Me: "Hmmm...what makes it important?"
Natalie: "Because the sun is yellow and light is very, very important, but so is gray -- gray is an important color, too because elephants are gray."
Natalie: "Mom, sometimes your eyes look weird."
Me: "Weird? How do you mean?"
Natalie: "Well, sometimes they look like grandpa's with wrinkles in the corner."
(Great...I'm not only getting older, I'm getting weirder, too)
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Natalie's Dark Tale
At 3 a.m. I heard footsteps on the stairs. Instantly I knew...Natalie had had another nightmare. Since her dreams tend to be very complicated and full of detail, I didn't ask questions, just lifted the blankets and allowed her to climb in bed with us. However, I knew the next three hours would involve a wrestling match of sorts with her as a sleeping companion. Oh well, such is the life of being a Mom and one day I'll miss this, right?
In the morning, she wanted to share with me everything about her "nightmare".
"So, Mom we were in the kitchen and the Brauns were with us. I was sitting in my pink chair. You made me a bagel with chocolate chips (A Natalie special) and Noah took one of my bagels and ...and HE ATE IT! THEN, Carter (4 year old friend) looked at the other piece and I said, "Don't you dare!" and then he grabbed it AND HE TOOK OFF RUNNING DOWN THE HALL AND THEN...AND THEN...HE DROPPED IT AND THERE WAS MELTED BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS ON THE FLOOR..."
As she recounted her dark (dark chocolate, that is) tale to me, her voice grew louder and went up about two octaves while I sat speechless. I don't remember the rest of her dream because at this point the only thought that penetrated my brain was...it's got to be 5 o'clock somewhere.
In the morning, she wanted to share with me everything about her "nightmare".
"So, Mom we were in the kitchen and the Brauns were with us. I was sitting in my pink chair. You made me a bagel with chocolate chips (A Natalie special) and Noah took one of my bagels and ...and HE ATE IT! THEN, Carter (4 year old friend) looked at the other piece and I said, "Don't you dare!" and then he grabbed it AND HE TOOK OFF RUNNING DOWN THE HALL AND THEN...AND THEN...HE DROPPED IT AND THERE WAS MELTED BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS ON THE FLOOR..."
As she recounted her dark (dark chocolate, that is) tale to me, her voice grew louder and went up about two octaves while I sat speechless. I don't remember the rest of her dream because at this point the only thought that penetrated my brain was...it's got to be 5 o'clock somewhere.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Deep Thoughts From Noah #16
(For the 18th time this morning) Me: "Noah, please don't talk to Natalie. She is not a morning person and not ready to talk."
Noah: "But, Natalie, why don't you want to talk to me?"
Natalie: "Because I'm crabby."
Noah: "So, Natalie...blah blah blah?"
Me: "Noah, I asked you not to talk to her."
Noah: "But, I'm not talking to her. I was just asking her a question."
Noah: "But, Natalie, why don't you want to talk to me?"
Natalie: "Because I'm crabby."
Noah: "So, Natalie...blah blah blah?"
Me: "Noah, I asked you not to talk to her."
Noah: "But, I'm not talking to her. I was just asking her a question."
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