Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The family walk

Claire, our three and a half year old middle child is very competitive these days. One evening we had the bright idea of getting away from the TV and out into the fresh air. Fixed on the grand plan, the Bennett’s were going on a family walk and nothing could stop us.
A half an our later, Kath and I were exhausted and a little damp from the exertion. Still determined, we finally rounded up the cast and wrestled them into their shoes.
Fifteen minutes later Molly, our two year old, screamed for us to go as she sat in her umbrella stroller, Patrick our six year old was still protesting about the dumb old walk and Claire struck out in the lead, determined to beat everyone around the block.
“Okay, we’re out numbered but it isn’t hopeless,” I said turning to my wife.
My beautiful bride Kathleen rolled her eyes and used her big girl voice. The birds flew from their perches, the neighborhood children stopped their games, the townspeople locked their houses but our troops responded and order was once again established.
Keep in mind that it’s been about 45 minutes since we hatched our grand idea to go for an after dinner walk. We are still in our driveway with Molly in her stroller, Patrick just down the walkway on his bike, and Claire half a block away and still running. “I want to win.” we could still hear her voice trailing away.
A while later and only a quarter of the way our children were having their second melt down.
“I wanted to win,” cried Claire (I mean really crying, big tears and all). She threw her arms around me.
“Go, go, go,” screamed Molly, upset that we had stopped her stroller ride.
I looked at Patrick who was beaming proudly after beating his sister in a bike against runner race.
“Claire, he’s on a bike and you’re running. I really don’t think you are going to win.”
Claire began to jump the way three year olds do when the world comes to an end. “I want to win for three whole weeks.”
Kath and I looked to one another for an explanation. Not finding one we just laughed.
There were several more races that Claire lost and Patrick had no idea he was involved in. Molly continued to encourage forward progress, while Patrick resumed his inspection of each and every fire hydrant along the way.
Though outnumbered and clearly outwitted, we parents still brave the family walks. It’s a time of learning and growing, talking and explaining, and making up. We look forward to our next adventure.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Let's lead them down the right path...

...but sometimes it's so difficult. I'm a fun loving guy who likes to play pranks on my children, but sometimes it backfires and causes problems for my wife. Take for example this morning as we got ready for chuch. As I was dressing my children, I couldn't help but notice that my daughter's maroon and heavy material dress came with accessories. I thought it odd that a three year old would have a hoodie on a dress. It looked kind of monkish or clostic.
"But why does it have a hoodie?" I asked my wife as I inspected the dress and accessories hung on a hanger.
We had began the morning with me discussing reasons why I shouldn't be the one picking out the children's cloths.
"That's not a hoodie, it's panty covers."
Well, maybe it wasn't a hoodie, but it did kind of look like a barrett. Later as I dressed her, my imagination led me away to a place where my daughter would wear such a barrett.
"Here, Claire, let's put your barret on." I had just finished dressing here and began folding the "panty covers" into the form of a hat. Claire didn't resist as I lowered the waist band over her crown and flopped the rest of the "hat" to one side.
"Oh Claire, you are sooo beautiful. Go show mommy."
"Daddy, I am beautiful," she said to herself in the mirror. "Look at my hat mommy."
Kathleen shot me a look as if to say, "would you please what you tell the kids?"
Needless to say, we had a difficult time trying to convince our poor three year old that daddy was just playing and that no, she could not wear "panty covers" to church.