Choosing fun

I wasn't going to write a post tonight. There wasn't anything particularly interesting about our day today. I sewed up a book sling for a new friend. (It was in exchange for a one-hour massage by her. How lucky am I??? Those of you who keep saying, "I wish I knew how to sew ..." Take a class! It pays off!). I did some meal planning (more on that topic one day soon). And I made pumpkin muffins with Magpie in the morning.

So who cares, right?

Well, I just came from Emily Chadwick's blog and she made me think today might be more significant than I thought. 

Instead of letting her two little ones get the best of her today, Emily turned a frustrating car ride into an adventure in rhubarb. Instead of just getting everyone home and making it through the day, she stopped at a farm stand near her house and let her kids see her go bonkers for the red veg. They brought some home, found a recipe to follow, and made something yummy together. You can read all about it here.

I try not to write much here about the tough days in parenting. We've all been there (right? please say I'm not the only one who loses my mind now and then). You don't need me rehashing a bad day and bringing everyone down. Unless, of course, it leads to a Penny Carnival group vacation to Canyon Ranch. Oh my--doesn't that sound nice right about now?

For whatever reason, I've had my fair share of rough patches in the last couple of weeks. I was kind of spiraling down into grumpy mommyhood until I snapped myself out of it the other day. I had to remind myself of something I fundamentally believe: with any relationship, the answer to challenges is more love, not less. (At least, that's what the Dixie Chicks tell me.) More kisses. More hugs. More compliments.

And more fun.

It's not fool proof, but so far this is what it has meant for us this week:

Fewer errands, more stops at the playground. Less cleaning, more dancing to ABBA songs. Later bedtimes (within reason). And more spontaneous tea parties at the fanciest hotel in town (the wait staff at our local landmark was more than happy to serve Shirley Temples in teacups the other day, and they didn't bat an eye at the eye shadow and blush smeared all over my daughters' faces). 

Today's fun? Bo and I decided to bake a cake, and baking a cake turned into throwing a small birthday party. But whose birthday was it today? I told her I'd look online. Jerry Seinfeld. She gave me a blank stare. So I suggested throwing a birthday for a thing instead of a person, like how about for our house? She had never heard anything so ridiculous. 

We looked around her room and settled on a character from a book. Little Red Riding Hood was the first thing she grabbed.

Is today really Little Red's birthday? I guess that depends. If one person in the universe believes it is, doesn't that make it so?

Here's to choosing fun. Here's to rhubarb!

Comments

[michaela]

Those moments when I snap myself out of grumpiness and do something ridiculous with my girl... the look on her face just kills me. Suprised, delighted, amazed. But it's *so* hard to get to that place sometimes.

Also, the Penny Carnival Canyon Ranch retreat? Sign me up. ;)

[emily]

I couldn't figure out why I had so many Penny Carnival clicks on my blog so I figured I'd better check out exactly WHAT you are dong over here :) Thanks for the plug and thanks for sharing such fun ideas. I love what you said about difficult situations needing MORE love, not less. Too often you we let anger and frustration color our thinking. Happy birthday Red Riding Hood...if only she could have had a rhubarb cake.

[nis]

Awesome posts from both you and Miss Em... I definitely need to remember to slllloooooowwww it down sometimes. The other night MK asked me to read her the book that I bought for her and Bo when we visited (the tips for a better world one) and I always love the page where they are throwing a party for Bunny Appreciation Day. :) These kids... gotta love em!

[Susannah]

great post! the other day I was reading my first graders take home journal and she had drawn a picture of me slinging cereal from the box around the kitchen (a weak mommy moment)...sigh...
Talk to you soon,
Susannah

[Randi Dickinson]

Thanks for sharing. I've struggled through many days and a lot of hard relationships with family members suffering depression (or just plain grumpy) and I've also found the solution to be more love! Telling them you love em or doing something carefree that reminds you why you love them always helps me out of a funk.
Warmest wishes and hopeful prayers your way for much better weeks to come.

[Megan]

Thanks so much guys. It's nice to know you're all out there losing your minds (and then finding them again) with me.
Susannah, that's hilarious. It would have been wet dishtowels with me, if my kids were old enough to be that specific in their drawings. During preschool pickup the other day, one of the boys in Bo's class showed his dad a picture he drew.
"See, Dad. That's you. Holding a can of beer."
We all lost it.