Fear Crept In

The kids had a hard time getting out the door yesterday. I swear, by the time I get them buckled into the car I'm so exhausted I no longer want to take them wherever it is we're going.

"Get on your shoes."

"Come here."

"Get on your shoes.....please."

"I asked you to get on your shoes!"

"Seth! Put your pants on. I mean it!"

Finally, I got mad. I threw a sneaker. I screamed at them. (Remember when Riley was the one who had the tantrums)?

I aborted the trip.

I sent them to their rooms.

When I cooled off, we sat down to talk.

"Do you know what happened?" I asked, gearing up for a looooong explanation of how frustrating it is for me when they won't listen and don't follow directions. I was even going to throw in a little something about how lucky they are to get to go places, topped off with a bit about how I NEVER got to go anyplace as a kid, and how grateful I would have been as a child.... lousy rotten little kids.

But this is how it actually went:

"Do you know what happened?"

Seth shrugged.

Then Riley, in her sweetest little Shirley Temple voice said,

"Fear crept in and you lost your temper?"

Did I mention she does not have one sarcastic cell in her body? She could not roll that way even if she tried. Did I mention she was looking up at me with her huge hazel, love filled eyes? Or what about her dimple? The one in her right cheek that the nurses went nuts for when she was born?

"Oh Michelle! Your baby has a dimple in her right cheek!" They said, as they carried her over to me, just before she pooped on one of the nurse's shoes.

"Your baby just pooped on my shoe!" Everyone laughed.

~~~~

Wait...where was I?

"Yeah Riley. Fear crept in. That pretty much sums it up."

One last squeeze and I released them from the mandatory post argument hand holding ritual. "Now get your shoes on and lets go."

They did.

Promptly.

And off we went.