BNE! came up on Wednesday and stayed the night. Then yesterday, BNE! and Urban Kid 1 flew back to St. Louis. Yes, BNE! collected UK1 for a lovely little "vacation." And not a moment too soon, I'm afraid. For some reason, UK1 and I have been butting heads... and hard. Almost no day has been complete without a massive meltdown and a long timeout. My sister has eloquently referred to these events as "pi$$ing matches." The nice thing is that she spends her timeouts pulling books off of her shelves and reading them. I'm thinking of starting her on this book:
She'd likely finish it before her next birthday, at the rate she's going..............There have been a few days when Urban Dad comes home to me wondering if homeschooling is actually the best answer. "She hates me! What can I possibly teach her?" His reply is always that she does NOT hate me and that even if we do just argue all day, she's STILL better off than in the Chicago system.
UK1 loves going to BNE!'s. Everything is novel and perfect. She is the center of attention. She gets to go to church (something we're a little too lax about, I suppose) and be the center of attention there. She gets to see my sister, a police officer, aka: Pink Power Ranger. And be the center of her attention. There's some sort of trampoline place that BNE! was checking out for her. And they go to the local Y to swim and play in a shiny new pool. She gets to watch Cinderella over and over again. Seriously, who can blame the kid?
In the meantime, Urban Kid 2 is getting lots of attention, especially from UD. He worries that he doesn't get enough time with her due to the whirling dervish that is UK1. As the weather improves bit by teeny tiny bit, he wants to take UK2 out for a walk in the stroller when he gets home. For the next few days, it will be The UD and UK2 Show. More power to 'em.
BNE! and UK1 are scheduled to fly back on Tuesday. But Pink Power Ranger is scheduled to drive up for a visit next Friday. So BNE! might just keep UK1 a few extra days, and all three may arrive together instead. I am all about the latter idea. So does this make me a bad mom? Or just an honest one? An honestly bad one? Or maybe one that is fortunate enough to come up for air now and then.
As much as I love living here, and as excited as I am about raising kids in the heart of the city, I do envy those that have family around them, handy on a day-to-day basis. I thank God every day for BNE! and how involved she has been from 300 miles away. I'd lose my mind without her.
But I'm still not telling her about this blog.
=-)
4 comments:
That is awesome that you can get a break while BNE gets quality one on one time with the grandkids!
How old is UK1? If she is anywhere near 13yo I can totally sympathize with the "butting heads" syndrome
You know, I always lived about 250 miles away from my family. ANd in alot of ways it turned out to be the perfect solution. It's great that your mom is so readily available to "be there" as a grandparent, even though you guys are apart. Relax and enjoy that. ANd just think of the awesome memories that UK1 will always have of those trips. Good stuff!
I think it's great that you are getting a break, don't feel guilty.
We have lived so far away from our relatives for so long, I can hardly even imagine living close enough for anyone to drive down for a visit (but that will be our reality after this Summer).
I don't think you're a "bad mom" for letting UK1 go visit BNE, OR for enjoying it, ;-)
And thanks for the "support" :-)
You aren't a bad mom! I think we all need a break now and then. Some parent/child relationships are harder than others. Oldest ds and I used to butt heads continually. I don't know what I would have done without family nearby. We've always been blessed (and sometimes cursed;o)) in that way. Now that he's older, we have a wonderful relationship, but there were several looooong difficult years in there. Having a break can give you perspective and get you rested and ready to deal with the day to day.
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