Hijacked Plans
I left the kids alone for an hour this afternoon so I could go to an appointment.
Ten minutes into the appointment, my phone rings. I check caller ID, just in case it's the kids.
It is. *sigh*
"Yes?"
"Mom, I accidentally broke a lightbulb in my bedroom."
"Ah. OK. Um.... I want you to stay out of your bedroom until I get home."
"OK. *sigh* *sniffle*"
"Are you OK?"
"Yes, I'm just really sad because the game I wanted to play with is in there."
I can picture it. It's Pokemon Monopoly -- a weird reworking of the original game, they've even changed the costs of things, it's bizarre -- there were pieces of paper money and property deeds all over their floor at bedtime last night. This is going to be a loooong cleanup job.
"Yeah, I know, but you don't want to get hurt, right?"
"Right." Big sigh. "Bye, Mom."
I get home and am met at the door by the penitent phone caller. "Mom, I was throwing a ball up in my room and broke the lightbulb [argh, that means it shattered while still up high, I need to change the sheets, too], and I know you told me to stay out of the room, but I went to put something away [this is, I kid you not, the first surprising thing I've really heard all afternoon] and habit took me into my bedroom."
"Did you step on some glass?"
"Yes, but don't worry, I put a bandaid on it right away and it's stopped bleeding now."
"Did you get the glass out?"
"It fell out on its own. But the bandaid is falling off now, can you look at it?"
So there you have it: The hijacking of my afternoon, in one toss of the ball.
Newt
Ten minutes into the appointment, my phone rings. I check caller ID, just in case it's the kids.
It is. *sigh*
"Yes?"
"Mom, I accidentally broke a lightbulb in my bedroom."
"Ah. OK. Um.... I want you to stay out of your bedroom until I get home."
"OK. *sigh* *sniffle*"
"Are you OK?"
"Yes, I'm just really sad because the game I wanted to play with is in there."
I can picture it. It's Pokemon Monopoly -- a weird reworking of the original game, they've even changed the costs of things, it's bizarre -- there were pieces of paper money and property deeds all over their floor at bedtime last night. This is going to be a loooong cleanup job.
"Yeah, I know, but you don't want to get hurt, right?"
"Right." Big sigh. "Bye, Mom."
I get home and am met at the door by the penitent phone caller. "Mom, I was throwing a ball up in my room and broke the lightbulb [argh, that means it shattered while still up high, I need to change the sheets, too], and I know you told me to stay out of the room, but I went to put something away [this is, I kid you not, the first surprising thing I've really heard all afternoon] and habit took me into my bedroom."
"Did you step on some glass?"
"Yes, but don't worry, I put a bandaid on it right away and it's stopped bleeding now."
"Did you get the glass out?"
"It fell out on its own. But the bandaid is falling off now, can you look at it?"
So there you have it: The hijacking of my afternoon, in one toss of the ball.
Newt