Stuck

We have to find amusement where we can, so I'm all in on being amazed and amused by this whole blocked Suez Canal thing. First, let me go ahead and admit that it's actually not funny. It's costing literal billions of dollars per day for it to be blocked and we're going to see supply chain interruptions, but C'MON, IT'S STILL FUNNY.

There are so many things in this world that suck right now; a few billion dollars going down the drain and additional supply chain problems are hardly worth noticing. I mean, just wait until the global semiconductor shortage REALLY takes hold ... it's going to be rough. A few dollars lost and supply chains interrupted are basically a day ending in "y" at this point.

And so, the fact that someone managed to get something so very stuck in the most inconvenient place possible has me thinking about the times my graceful children have done the same. I won't name names because the internet is forever, but ONE of my children got her head stuck in between the rails of the brand new playhouse last year.

As in, she turned her head sideways to shove it between the rails and then couldn't get it back out again. I had to unscrew the rail.

Another time, a child crawled under the kitchen table and then under a kitchen chair. She then proceeded to get completely trapped under said kitchen chair because her little toddler genius self decided to try to go through the middle of the side instead of under and basically, she turned herself into a pretzel with one foot stuck on one side and the other on the other side and an arm flailing this way and heh. I shouldn't have laughed but it was funny. So funny.

But not as funny as this.

I know I said I wasn't going to name names and I'M NOT SAYING NAMES but feel free to determine which kid that is.

She really was stuck in a doll high chair. And I really did pause to take a photo before saving her. THAT'S WHAT PARENTING IS ABOUT. Coming to the rescue before real harm is done, but enjoying the show for a second first. It's important to remember these magical moments.

We all have our brilliant moments that lead to us getting stuck, but at least nobody reading this has ever blocked a major ocean passageway while doing it.

Hiding Places

Somehow I magically became NOT IT! when it comes to taking Alexis to dance class on Wednesdays. It's all sorts of fantastic given that half my life is spent giving that child rides to places, but it's extra fantabulous because Mila goes along for the ride.

I end up with the house to myself for an hour.

HUZZAH!

That is a thing that is so very rare and SO VERY needed. In theory I would spend the time cleaning or such, but lately I've been super excited about being able to work late without risk of interruption. Look, when you're adult, little things like being able to pour through an Excel Spreadsheet without being interrupted a bunch of times is really amazing. It's only slightly better than being able to clean the kitchen without someone following you around dropping new crumbs.

Explaining that paragraph to younger me would be SO difficult. But here we are, acting all grown-up and stuff.

ANYWAY.

I was still working when the parade of chaos returned from dropping off Alexis today. My home office is upstairs with a perfect view of the backyard. That's by design, of course. It lets me keep an eye on small people while they play outdoors and it gives me a chance to stare at the pond about 150,000 times per day. Watching fish is oddly soothing.

So the parade of chaos poured out of the car and immediately ran into the yard to play.

Mila ran up into her playhouse for a bit and then checked for frogs in the pond (they're out for the year, by the way, which means IT REALLY IS SPRING HOORAY!). She poked around at the fairy gardens, looked for blooming daffodils, and then found her way to the middle of the yard. The whole time she was adorable and fantastic with her ridiculous rain boots, unicorn and rainbow leggings, and sparkly unicorn t-shirt.

And then the chaos tripled. The girls next door burst from their garage, all sorts of excited because Mila was outside. Mila was excited as well. It was extremely justified because I consider those girls to be in "our bubble" and they are the best playmates. Mila, as is customary, screamed, "Can I play?" to nobody in particular before running full speed to the next yard over.

As she shot into action, she pulled a mask from ... somewhere? I DON'T KNOW WHERE. Leggings. T-shirt. She didn't run inside the house or to a car or anything. She just had a mask hidden ... somewhere. I SERIOUSLY CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. But she put it on, happily played for a few hours, and here we are. It has been hours and hours and I'm trying to figure out where the hell my 6-year old stashes masks so that she can play at the drop of a hat.

Maybe it's best that I don't know.

But I really want to know.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Mila is, in many ways, the most charming Tiny Human that has ever lived. There's just that one thing - it is impossible to distinguish between her version of injured and angry. If she trips and scrapes a knee, falls over while jumping on the trampoline, smashes into her sister's elbow while walking, whatever. She will react exactly the same regardless of whether she is really hurt or just plain pissed off about whatever just happened.

It's frustrating.

Whenever it happens, she launches into tears and yelling, but I don't know what to do. There's a big difference in how I think I should handle a physical injury versus an ego injury, but not being able to tell them apart leaves me saying, "You're going to have to use your words" a WHOLE lot. Mostly I've decided that if she wants help when actually hurt, she's going to have to change up her reaction so I know to get involved. In other words, she can wallow in her misery if she's angry.

It works out.

Tonight, though, things went a bit different. It was the evening of walking straight into her sister's elbow because my children are very talented. A simple walk around the neighborhood can result in someone losing an eye. We're almost proud of that. Mila and Alexis were both happily walking along, but then Mila decided she needed to twirl her dress, and when she resumed walking forward, she walked squarely into Alexis' elbow.

Nobody was happy for a minute or ten.

Mila started yelling and carry on about all sorts of things. She was WORKED UP, but I still couldn't tell you whether she was angry or hurt. Seriously, I have no idea. I told her as much, and then topped off the sentence with, "It doesn't do any good to be angry about things that happened in the past if you don't do something to make tomorrow better."

And then I wallowed in my wise words because ... yeah. It's time to get on that.