This week has been OFF THE CHARTS! As a business person I have been creating more connections than ever, leading a networking event and having one of the best months ever for Zen's Purple Garden. As a parent I have been a chauffeur on steroids, 10-12 trips in a day, packing in the baby in the car seat like I shove my foot in a shoe. In and out, let's go, time to run off to the next place, over and over again, without thought many times. He's thinking "What the frick?? Again with the car seat?"
He screams until his face is red and yet I drive, annoyed, off to another class, bank or drop off. He must be soooooo mad. I try to explain, tell him where we are going, turn up Raffi and wait out his screams.
Thursday night however, I attend a parenting seminar at my eldest son's school. Scott Peebles speaks to us about "Off The Wall Parenting" and he invited us to be surprising, do some pretty wacky things. When the kid lays down in the store and throws a tantrum, get down there too and throw a bigger tantrum with him!!
What? Is this guy nuts? Hang on, does he even have kids? That makes a difference for me for some reason, but I never get the answer. I am guessing he doesn't because he doesn't mention them. My sitter later reminds me that he doesn't have to have kids to be great with kids. I begrudgingly agree.
(His point by the way is that kids don't care about your problems, they care about THEIR problems, and if you are embarrassing them, the have a problem!)
So today, in the car, Bronson starts to scream his head off in sheer protest. There is nothing really wrong. He just wanted to have the lip gloss I was putting on and I chose to not entrust him with a bottle of sticky goo. He protested with a scream that could burst yer eardrums. I thought of Scott's advice and I promptly began to scream a Halloween type mock scary scream. With some vigor. The baby look stunned and stopped cold. Silent. Bodee began to crack up. He laughed like a hyena and the look in his eyes, connected with me from the rear view mirror, was that of pure love. Man I love that kid. He just loves to laugh. (That's why he says "Butt" so much, people laugh!) Soon we are all laughing.
I got the pure joy of being a surprising parent. I was reminded of my son's 5th birthday a few weeks ago. I came home from picking up the balloons, cake and juice with about 30 minutes to spare to set up for the party. My husband was mid way in cutting into a huge cardboard box on the floor. I immediately jumped all over him, questioning him What he was doing, didn't he know we need to get the cooler cleaned out and the kids dressed and we have 20 things that still need to get done??? My head is telling me that I need to do EVERYTHING!!!! ARRRGGGH!
I get now that my husband was single focused, as all good hunter men are, on the most important thing....
Our kids having fun at the Halloween Birthday party. He was being surprising and fun and making a robot costume. I was making him wrong. What a turkey!
I am sorry Todd for making you wrong so many times. This is my public apology. You are the coolest, funnest Toddbot ever.
Twenty different circumstances also pop up....my brother tying my sleeping sisters big toe to the top of the underside of the bunk...I though how cruel!!!!
My Dad surprising us by taking us to the movies and insisting on packing home popped pop corn in huge, embarrassing bread bags and hiding them under our jackets.
I get now that you were just committed to having FUN... in your own ways. Might have to be another blog to get the full scope of how much I have made you wrong in life. But really, I really get how dedicated and cool and FUN the male species is.
And from that I now get to chose freedom and not make myself or you wrong.
Just be surprising!
I love you guys.
Zen Honeycutt
www.zenspurplegarden.com
If you are interested in Understanding Men and Satisfying Women, check out www.effectivewomen.com.
If you are interested in having breakthrough in creating a Life you Love and Living Powerfully, check out www.landmarkeducation.com.
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