Kids are awake and I’m talking to Adam before he leaves. Nick walks into the room…
Nick:Mom,you set up my trains?
Mom:Not yet,Nick. We need to have breakfast and then I need to vacuum the floors. That’s hard to do with train tracks on the floor.
Nick:(grumpy) Oh.
We start breakfast,Nick finishes quickly. Momma is still eating.
Nick:Momma,you set up my train tracks?
Momma:No Nick,I am not done eating and I STILL have to do the vacuuming.
Momma finishes her breakfast and gets up and gets out the vacuum.
Nick:Momma,you set up my train tracks?
Momma:No Nick! I need to vacuum!
Mom goes into Megan’s room and asks her to come in and clean up her big stuff off the floor (little stuff got picked up last night). She goes into Nick’s room and asks him to pick up his cars. Nick picks up one car.
Nick:Mom,you set up my trains?
Mom:Nick,I need to vacuum Mommy &Daddy’s room,I need to vacuum Megan’s room,I need to vacuum your room but not until you get these cars picked up,I need to vacuum the kitchen and I need to vacuum the living room. THEN I can set up your trains. Not until all that is done.
Nick goes back and picks up a couple cars and goes out to set up his trains himself. Mom (oblivious to this) vacuums her bedroom. She goes into Megan’s room to urge her along and on the way there notices Nick. Nick is sent back to his room to pick up his cars and then goes to pick up his trains (after some not-so-gentle urging). Mom moves the vacuum cord so she can vacuum in Nick’s room.
Nick:Mom,you set up my train tracks?
Mom turns on the vacuum.
Nick:Mom,you set up my train tracks? Mom!? MOMMA!! YOU SET UP MY TRAIN TRACKS?!
Mom finishes Nick’s bedroom and turns the vacuum off and moves it into the hallway.
Nick:Mom,you set up my trains?
Mom (quite exasperated by now):Nick. WE talked about this. I need to vacuum all the rooms before I will set up your trains. If I wait,the house will have toys all over it again and vacuuming won’t happen. You MUST WAIT. I need to do Megan’s room,the kitchen and the living room.
Nick:*cries*
Mom moves into Megan’s room and helps her pick up her big toys
Mom (to Megan):I think my head might blow up if I hear Nick ask one more time to set up his trains.
Megan:Me too.
Nick:Mom,you set up my train tracks?
Mom &Megan:No!
All laugh. Well,almost all. Nick goes into his room and shuts the door. Mom vacuums Megan’s room. Vacuum turns off.
Nick:Mom,you s….
Mom:No Nick! I’m getting close to being done,but I still need to do the kitchen and the living room.
Nick shuts the door.
Mom brings the vacuum out to the living room. Nick peeks out. Mom turns on the vacuum. Nick’s door shuts.
I turn off the vacuum to move the cord again (really,I need a vacuum with a longer cord –my house isn’t THAT big!). Nick’s door opens.
Nick:(whispers) Momma?
Momma:(whispers) No.
Nick shuts his door,Momma turns on the vacuum,finishes the living room. Moves into the kitchen without turning off the vacuum. Nick peeks out his door,shuts door. More vacuuming,more door opening,more door closing. Vacuum turns off. Cord wrapped up. Vacuum put away. Mom sets up trains. Nick finally comes out of his room.
Nick:Momma,you set up my trains?! Fank you,Mom,for my trains.
You realize it's completely appropriate that you would get a kid that is as persistent as Nick. I've seen you try to fend Adam off when he bugs you more than once —I'm surprised your head didn't enter orbit!
To come to my own defense a little bit…I have found a lot of patience since having kids.
My head didn't enter orbit,it just smoked a bit.