The Torture of Parenting (Sometimes)

This afternoon I went to order a birthday cake for Madison and Breana's birthday party. They're having a Disney Princess birthday together since their birthdays are only 6 days apart (Breana will be 5 and Madison will be 4). They both decided on a Disney Princess castle theme (bonus, they agreed on it). I'd picked up Madison and she's clearly tired, and still has a runny nose - but it's only going to take a minute to order the cake and we'll be home in no time. Right?

Ah no. I had to wait quite a bit for someone to notice I was waiting... and Madison wants to be picked up then put down. Repeatedly. Then she has to potty. It's becoming very clear she's quite tired and not feeling 100%. Next she's trying to poke at the cakes on display, and knocking on the glass. I hear from somewhere behind me, "I'll be right with you, Ma'am." Hooray, I've been spotted! After putting some things away she comes and I tell her I want the princess castle cake. She disappears, for what seems like forever, because Madison is so done waiting at the bakery. Minutes later...Yes! The lady reappears with all the castle cake-topper stuff. It's A LOT of stuff she's holding. This lady, for five minutes, tells me about the problem with the cake topper packages and how they put the wrong topper stuff in the bags and how they have to use two different cake decorating packages to get the one cake done. She repeats this story three times. I'm thinking to myself, "Lady... don't you see my little girl here ready to Tasmanian Devil all over your bakery?" It took a total of 15-20 minutes at the bakery, and in the big scheme of things? Not a big deal whatsoever. When you have a tired, sick, whiny and bored four-year-old? Pure Torture. It's like watching a stick of dynamite burn from just a few feet away.

The silver lining is that I got the LAST Disney Princess castle cake available. She took the page out of the ordering book as she completed my order. So in the end - it was sooooo worth it.

The Blanket Incident

So I'm sitting in the dentist chair, and my personal cell phone goes off. I ignore it, thinking if it's important they'll leave a message. About 3 minutes go by, and it goes off again. I excuse myself, stop the ringing and turn the phone off. It's Karl trying to reach me - and usually in the morning he will call for something I see as completely ridiculous ("Was there an accident when you left?" or "What shoes is Maddy wearing today?"). I'm sure if there's a decision to be made, he'll be able to figure it out. He's a big boy. Right?

I settle back into the dentist chair, and someone from the front comes in. "I need Lora for just a minute, Karl needs to talk to her." We're on a first name basis there, I've been a patient there for over 20 years (not to mention Karl's had so much work done, I'm sure he's personally funded some technology upgrades). Now I'm worried. I make my way to the phone wondering what happened. Is she bleeding? Did she fall? Is she throwing up? I mean, why else would he interrupt my dentist appointment. Right? I pick up the receiver expecting the worst possible scenario, and I hear this: "Where's Maddy's school blanket? Doesn't she need a blanket?"

I'd left her backpack open the night before and he noticed there was no blanket. Her blanket stays at school during the week and I bring it home every Friday to wash. Okay, so he may not know that little fact. But there's no less than 6 blankets in her closet! If he was so worried, why not pick one of them and just take the damn thing? I calmly answered him and went back to my appointment.

That night he reads me the riot act because I don't always answer my cell phone. I am not a big fan of the telephone, so it's something he zaps me with a lot. I don't always have my cell phone on my person, and he's worried he won't reach me in an emergency. Uh... had it truly BEEN an emergency, he knew exactly how to reach me, because he did. I reminded him that he IS a grown man who can make a myriad of complex decisions every single day. I'm sure the blanket issue could have been easily resolved in his own head, had he used it. Hmmpf!