springdellgirl

Two FUN Days




This week has brought us two of the most fun days of the year...yeah right. That would be School Picture Day and Flu shot day. How I dread them.

First, School Picture Day. Sounds harmless right? Not if you are at my house. The morning of was complete and utter chaos. Everyone loathed the clothes that I laid out for them. Reilly despised her "plain jane" outfit. Kameron refused to wear the nice button up shirt and pants I had for him and changed into a skater outfit of t-shirt and vans and wasn't budging. Fighting about clothes caused the time to fly by and we were late when Reilly in a fit of tears told me that she MUST have her hair curled with hot rollers. What is a mom to do? Scream...Scream...and Scream some more. I tried channeling Linda Eyre (parenting extraordinaire) but couldn't do it. There were some four letter words...rants about ungrateful brats...and threats of butt-kicking. Then it dawned on me that I was channeling my MOTHER!!


Growing up at my house school picture day was a day to be dreaded for much the same reasons. Fights about outfits...which we always lost...hence the picture of Stacey in a tie and me in a teddy bear sweater...I was in 7th grade...and NOT HAPPY!! I wish I had a copy of that and I would post it!! My mom always had one of idea of what we should wear and we always had another. The only one who didn't give into my mom's ranting, swearing and threats was Jordi who calming said "OK" only to have had another outfit stuffed in her backpack which she changed into before pictures. This is the infamous school picture of Jordi wearing a track suit, sweatshirt tied around her waist, grubby tennis shoes, posing with her foot on a fake log. My mom nearly keeled over when she opened that package of pictures. Again...sisters...feel free to email me copies of those pictures!! ;)

As the mother of three girls close in age and all needing "picture" hair my mom came up with an ingenious idea (in her mind)!! She would only curl our bangs and the two front pieces of hair on either side of our heads...the rest was left straight. We were sternly told to make sure when it came time to have our pictures taken we were to bring the two curled pieces over our shoulders and to leave the straight pieces not showing. This would give the "allusion" that our hair was completely curled...this rarely worked. I'll let you be the judge:

First Grade...worked out OK

2nd Grade...starting to have some issues

By Fifth Grade...serious problems

Third, Fourth, and Sixth Grades...too hideous to display. Then when I was in 6th grade my mom cut all our hair into a bob...problem solved but new problems ensued...BRACES!! I will spare you. So after years and years and years of mockage of our blessed mother I would like to sincerely APOLOGIZE!!

The next day was Flu Shot Day!!

A day to strike terror in the hearts of my children. They were warned...they were prepared...they had been crying for a week just thinking about it. This has been a huge pain in the butt for years. It is terrible and Reilly has always been the worst. She has pulled shots out that were 1/2 way in. She has made a run for it only to be caught in the lobby and dragged back kicking and screaming. She has had a nurse flat out tell us that she won't give a shot to a child who acts like that. Tyler and I have had to restrain her. All the while Kameron is looking on in complete terror. But as we are a family who believes in immunizations we get our yearly flu shots. Bribes of ice cream afterward don't work...they always did for me while growing up...Reilly has gone without ice cream and not cared a bit. One year...the year the nurse refused to give her a shot...we let her have the nose spray vaccine. But then the next year was the flu vaccine shortage and that wasn't available and the fun began again. Last year she only cried and threw a fit when the nurse suggested that she go first to show her brother and sister that there was nothing to be afraid of...and had to be silently threatened with the evil eye and mean looks from me and Tyler. This year Tyler couldn't come with me and I was dreading going with the kids by myself. Guess what happened? Nothing. Reilly hopped up on the table looked away and took the shot without a wince or any flinching. The angels in heaven sang!! Kameron went next...watery eyes...no fighting it...took his shot without even squeezing my hand. Next was Ailey...didn't even make a peep. Hallelujah!! Hallelujah!! Hallelujah!! We are done for another year.