So yesterday, I took a day off for my sanity and to destress just a little bit. It was really very nice and I got a small glimpse of how my days might look like when I get to be home in about three months with my newborn son. Oh, how I love to think about it!
I took my hubby to work, did some laundry, watched a little of the morning news show that I love to hate, decided to see a movie by myself (which I will talk about in my next post) and to treat my stepdaughter and her son to a little field trip out somewhere. I called my super friend and asked sneakily where the mega McDonald's in town was exactly and laid out my plan.
When I got home from my wonderful movie time, it was off to the mega McDonald's. Neither Jamie nor Ryan had any idea where we were going. I was so excited because I love to be able to do fun things, especially unexpected surprises, for others and I just knew we were going to have a great time. We would eat scrumptious hamburgers and fries, Ryan would play his little heart out, his mom would be happy for him, it would be so very magical, and I would be their hero for a few hours. Ah, how very well I thought I had planned this out.
Yeah, not so much.
Everything was going great - we told Ryan as soon as he finished his lunch, he would be able to play. It was a little hard to keep him focused on the food with all the screaming, running, the TV, and just general kiddo mayhem going on all around him. For him, it was probably like me going to Vegas a few years ago - stimulation overload. But, for the most part, I was happy with how things were going. I knew we had sort of a time limit since I had to go pick up Hubby from work, but no real big rush.
We were down to two little bites of his cheeseburger and I could tell he was getting anxious to go play, so both Jamie and I were encouraging him along now. Only one more little bite left. "Yeah! One more bite, Ryan!" The last bite is in his mouth - he's chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing......
And, now he's stopped chewing and is refusing to swallow his FINAL bite of cheeseburger. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!???!!!??? @#$%^&!
Suddenly, Jamie and I have become desperate funmongers, trying to get him to chew and swallow his last bite of food and be able to go play, but our fun-loving boy has turned into obstinate, I-am-not-going-to-chew-this-last-bite-and-you-can't-make-me boy. You can tell by looking at his face that he has settled into his stubborn mode and will not be moved for or by anything. Well, I look right at him and tell him that if he doesn't chew his last bite right now, we are leaving without him getting to play. I ask him if he wants to play and he nods his head yes. Then, finish what's in your mouth NOW. Nope. The kid will not be moved.
After fifteen minutes of hammering into him the consequences of his actions if he persists in continuing on in this way (which I now understand to be totally ineffective) and trying desperately to get back to that magically happy time before that last bite of food entered his mouth, we begin to pack up and leave. Still no response from chipmunk cheek boy. I tell him before leaving the restaurant that he is going straight to time-out when we get home and that he will not get to play with his toys for the rest of the day because of his behavior. He didn't so much as bat an eyelash.
Uuuuurrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!
We're in the car and he is still refusing to finish swallowing his food. We didn't talk to him the entire way home.
We're home and getting him out of the car and now I think he finally realizes it's over because he begins crying and fighting NOT to go inside. Did he think I was bluffing? Grandma Neenie don't mess around.
We set him in time-out and as of the time I left to go pick up Hubby, he still had the indiscriminate piece of cheeseburger in his mouth.
So much for trying to add some fun to his and Jamie's day. That little escapade wore me out.
On my way to pick up my husband, though, my day got better. I called my super friend back and related my story. When I called her, I was about in tears. This wasn't the first time Ryan had pulled this little stunt and I am growing weary of it - I can't understand why he is doing it or how to help and correct him. Thankfully, she got me to laughing - she's really the best! - and gave me some tips which I later shared with Jamie and Hubby.
Well, I gotta admit that if this is what I have to look forward to in three months when I get to stay home, I say bring it on! Because one day in the life of a "housewife" was more interesting and made for a better blog than nearly seven years at my job!
Fun times.
P.S. If you want to read a real Big Mac of a story of one lady's McDonald's experience, go here and read this story.
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