Why do I continue to torture myself with weekend outings when the result is screaming, screaming and more screaming?
Why?
Primarily because I read Grit's blog and her determination to put triplets into nature every single day of their lives or something of the home education variety has me permanently inspired to make the most of our weekends.
Lately the scorching heat has become a major factor in outdoor time problems. In a toddler's opinion, here is the worst of today:
1. Sunscreen - does anyone know how to apply sunscreen without eliciting screams? I apply a cream to the face and spray her body with a sun spray. It's over in 2 minutes flat but the anger and rage in those two minutes could fuel our car ride to the beach.
2. Car Ride - slightly too long for preference, sorry daughter, we live 30 minutes from the beach due to affordable housing issues.
3. Heat - after 30 minutes in the sun (and I do provide shade but she chooses not to stay there) she has a total melt down. Fine, we can leave - just have a little patience while I wrestle with the umbrella as it's flipped inside out with the wind and you climbing on my back screaming NO NO NO is not helping to speed my ability to wrestle it the opposite way in the wind.
4. Shower - she's on a bench watching me rinse off and screaming her head off about the water droplets hitting her. Clearly by this point the heat has just taken over all sense of civility or she's concerned about her own upcoming shower experience.
Finally done with the shower and in dry clothes we explore a small part of nature - presenting local cacti and coral rock.
Remaining unfortunate detail for mom - she naps on the way home which means it will be really hard to get her to take a 2 hour nap later in the afternoon. Soooo, still confused on why I do it? Is there anything in there for me?
Yes - for a small period of time there was a gorgeous wind on the beach that cooled everything down, the sound of the waves and the beauty of the ocean that made me incredibly happy. Also, the thought of staying in the house or just going somewhere local like the park or mall made me depressed so in the end I say it's worth it.
Maybe next week we will go earlier - like at 8am when husband leaves for work rather then lolling around the internet for an hour while Charlotte watches SpongeBob. I realize now that I wasted important toddler capital = awake happy time!!! Don't waste the "awake happy time" parents! It's more precious then gold.
2 comments:
You have more courage than I do. I can barely make it up the hill to the little playground in our neighborhood. It's exhausting. I don't know how you do what you do, pregnant as well! You are amazing. I was so lazy when pregnant. LOL!
I certainly agree with you on one note. If you are going to take a child out, make the most of their happy hours. :) It makes the outings more pleasant for everyone involved.
BTW, I love her dress!
Oh, on another note. Staying in as much as I do, has it's many disadvantages. It's just so much work take three anywhere. So, I am caught in the middle. Do I take them out and feel outnumbered the entire time or keep them at home and stifle them? I know I SHOULD take them out more often, I know I WANT to take them out more often. Yet, I don't. Something I really want to work on this summer.
Have a great week, Rachel!
You're totally right about not wasting "awake happy time" with the toddlers.
E is a bear if we get too close to nap time.
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