When I was but a wee footy-pajama-wearing child I would lie awake after bedtime, listening to the murmurs of the wakeful adults at the other end of the house. I was certain they were having so much fun and I was missing it.
Now I know that my own children can hear the noises of our voices wafting up the stairs as they try to drift off to sleep at an hour that, for us grown-ups, is just dinner time. I must tell you my dears - after you go to bed we eat ice cream and watch cartoons and cuss. YES the very same ice cream I looked you right in the eye and told you we don't have. Oh, how we laugh together! We even laugh about how we're doing stuff you love that we've denied you while you're upstairs sleeping. We do! I know this probably angers you. But rest assured little loves, in 30 years, you'll do the same thing.
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This post triggered fond reminiscing for me. In our home during my footie-pj days, we had a gas-powered furnace that had been converted from a coal-burning one. Only one "grate" above the furnace provided the heat for the entire house. My dad had converted the attic into two bedrooms, and placed a smaller grate over the first one, in the ceiling of the dining room (floor of our bedroom). By lying on the floor and viewing at an angle nearly parallel to the floor, we were able to "see" the television through that grate. Nearly fool-proof until my parents got fed up and gave us the choice of going to bed voluntarily or having the only source of heat cut off by shutting the grate! I'm POSITIVE they ATE and had FUN down there, too. You go ahead and enjoy it. Your time has come!
Oh, yes... and on Christmas Eve we could guiltily watch presents being wrapped. Today is my mother's (WME Karen's gramma's) birthday (she would have been 93. She'd have thought all you mamas were soft and overindulgent!
I've thought this one over all day. I think to get a point here, you should have told the kids you did have the ice cream...but that it wasn't for them. I've done this before - it's very satisfying at the end of a whiny sort of day.
Other authors? Thoughts?
P.S. In the house I grew up in, you could peek around the top of the stair landing and see the reflection of the TV in the glass door at the bottom of the stairs! I watched a lot of Knots Landing that way.
When Irene's in her bed, I often begin cleaning up and we sometimes start playing with her toys esp Legos Duplos, craft scissors or PlayDoh.
Do you eat the playdough? So...hard...to...resist...
No because I buy the lordknowswhatchemicalpoison-laden PlayDoh from the store. It is so unedible. However I know you and you make organic, healthy playdough for your girls. That alone makes you the best.mama.ever and should disqualify you from winning any points in December.
Karen, I'm going to award the point because Kate's 3. It wouldn't have been nearly as fun to tell her it's Mama's ice cream. That'll come later.
Good point, Epiphany! The really good disappointed faces don't kick in until four or five, at least.
mmmmmm....playdoh.
Why would you feed your child play-doh? Don't know you that antifreeze coated glass is all the rage. :)
There is a certain satisfaction at looking your 11 and 15 year old right in the eye and saying...No, you can't have that ice cream. It's mine.
i'm an "aunt" that does that. when i was visiting friends in TX, we sent the kids to bed, then broke out the sundaes my friend and i got on the night run to the ice cream drive-thru ;) on another note, we used to make peanut butter playdough as kids w/ our friends...now THAT's yummy!
Someday soon when you think they're up there yearning for your sweet sofa life in front of the TV, they'll actually be out the window, down the tree, and in Dirk Dunnigan's '86 Festiva, heading to the reservoir. Just like Mommy!
Oh please don't let it be someone named "Dirk"...
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