Hudson tried on one of Daddy's bowties yesterday.Harper has given Hudson a nickname. Dare we say a term of endearment? This morning they were in the kitchen trying to ride their tricycles (it is the only hard floor we have except for bathrooms and is, I'm sorry to say, not at all big enough for one, let alone two, tricycle riders) and I heard her saying, "Come on, Doc! You can do it!" Doc Hudson, for the uninitiated, is the car (voiced by Paul Newman) in the movie "Cars." She continued with the pleasantness for the rest of the morning until we got to the park, at which point she forgot all about "Doc" and words of encouragement and instead reverted to "No, Hudson! You can't laugh/play/swing with me."
I've been trying to decide since we got home which is more depressing: a park with no children, or a park full of children (and mothers) who all seem to already know each other. I'm leaning toward the latter. Because there were around 5 different playgroups at the park this morning and Harper spent the first 30 minutes or so running up to kids saying, "Would you like to play with me?" and getting blank stares in return. It could be the case that the kids were just perplexed by the formality of the invitation. I'm still figuring out what my role is supposed to be in this. Probably minimal. We do try to meet friends at the park when we can, it's just gotten a little harder since we moved. And I'm well aware that when I do have friends at the park I chat with them and may not always notice if there's a kid who doesn't belong to me trying to join in. But still. When you're pregnant and hormonal and watching your little girl run up to people with a big smile on her face only to be ignored, well, maybe you won't actually start crying in front of everyone at the park but you will certainly want to. And of course, the one child at the park who would have been overjoyed to play with her, she spurns because he is her little brother. So maybe this is her consequence. Yuck. And don't think I don't realize that this is just the beginning. I was reading a blog yesterday about a mom whose little guy came home from kindergarten and, when asked about new friends said something like, "I don't have any friends. They all say my drawings are stupid." I was weeping for this kid whom I do not even know.
On a much lighter (or heavier, literally speaking) note, here is picture of the pregnant lady at 21 weeks. The belly seems to be growing faster this time around, as I had been warned it would. For some reason I don't have many pictures of me pregnant with Harper or Hudson, so I'm trying to document the progress this time.
4 comments:
Big belly? Where??? My belly is still bigger than yours and I've had a tummy tuck!! Girl, you look good.
As you can tell from the caps, I feel better. Still weak and no appetite, but can at least take care of my family now. Mom has it now. YUCK! Dad went home to PN this morning and she has not moved off my couch all day except to go to the bathroom. Bless her heart for taking care of us, but does she have to get it in return?!!? Germs.....aren't they wonderful?
And, yes, it is heartbreaking to see your child rejected in any way. Our 2nd son struggles w/ this since he doesn't fit the "mold" of a typical boy; not a "sports" kid.
He plays flag football, but only b/c we highly encourage him to play some sort of sport. He loves to read. That's it. 10 year old boys don't invite you over to spend the night and read. I love that he loves to read, but it's hard to watch when big and little brothers are constantly invited places and he is not. I never dreamed that motherhood could be so heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. And, like you, I realize there are rejections out there we have yet to even face and can't even fathom at this point. Give us grace, Lord.
Thanks Carrie. I'm glad you're feeling better. Your poor little mom. It really isn't fair when the caretakers take ill--there's supposed to be built in immunity or something.
I remember when Kyler was probably around Harper's age and was really into The Titanic. Does he mind the flag football very much? I think Harper is really ready to do something organized--ballet or soccer maybe--where she can see the same kids every week and have something automatic in common.
It makes me sad to read about this b/c we so want our precious children never to be made to feel bad in the world. They will, of course, as we did at times, but it hurts us anyway. I laud you for documenting your progress. I don't have pregger photos, either; I always felt too grumpy/fat/tired to smile.
Titanic has been replaced by WWII. He's very much into anything historical, but more so if it offers something tragic. Presidents and the likes, not so much. He still reads about the Titanic every once in a while, but refers to that as "I already know that stuff".
He tolerates flag football. He enjoys playing w/ his friends and doesn't complain about the practices or games, but doesn't really enjoy the game. He has a big heart and it just kills him to have to "block" or "get" somebody. Baseball draws too much individual attention to him, golf is too slow, soccer is too fast, etc., etc., etc.
Age 3 is when most children do start wanting to do something more organized than life w/in their home. Maybe a Mother's Day Out program once a week would do? Most churches offer something of the sorts for minimal cost (Waco's going rate is $12/day) and if she only goes once a week, that's not too bad. Good programs should offer learning time, play time, craft time, lunch and rest time. Times around here are 9-2 or 9:30-2:30. Just a thought.
CY
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