Yesterday was one of those days. A Terrible Awful No Good Day. Or at least, it ended badly. Bridget did not nap. Not a single wink. Boy did she need a nap, too. By three she was bouncing off the walls and driving us all crazy. Poor Johnny is working on a tooth and so he's been cranky and not wanting to sleep a whole lot and generally needy. The snow was falling and blowing and we were all inside. Together. For the fifth day.
There was a brief point where the snow ended and the sun came out briefly and so I went out and shoveled the drive. I'm sure this is why my mother always shoveled when I was growing up: to get away from us. Plus, it's quiet outside just after the snow stops. I thought, maybe that break would be enough. But alas, it was not.
By 4:30 and after a whole lot of whining we had all (and by we I moslty mean myself) had just about enough. So I got Bridget in her PJs and fixed her some eggs and toast and had her ready for bed by 6. Man did she need to sleep. Of course, she fought it the whole way. Johnny went down at about 6:30 and she just started yelling for her Dad. She'd already tried Mom and I told her that I'd have to take "her guys" (whatever stuffed animal she's picked for the night) away if I came back in. Switching it up was her way of trying to get around that.
But I went in instead and she was not happy. I had her hand over her guys and she just started bawling. Asking for dessert. Wanting her Dad. So I asked her, "Why do you want Dad?"
"Because I love him. You're mean to me. You only love Johnny."
That killed me. So I explained to her that I am not mean because I like it, that there are rules and she has to follow them. It's bedtime. After some hugs and assurances that yes, I do love her, Johnny just needs extra attention right now, I back-tracked a little and let her have just one guy (instead of the usual two) and promised her I'd tuck in the other one after she went to sleep.
And of course, by now it was around 7. Her normal bedtime.
Beer and some emails to friends and family made me feel a little better.
We are on-track for a better day today. And that's all I can really ask for.
One night when I was about fourteen my brother who was around twelve got sick in an epic fashion. Vomit was everywhere. All over the wall of his bedroom and even inside the light switch. Yes my parents had to replace it. The thing I remember the most was that it was spaghetti and the noodles stuck to the wall.
We had our own night like that Thursday night. Bridget got sick in a spectacular way and it was also pasta (tri-color rotini, to be specific) . She did though manage to get herself to the bathroom. And afterward I felt so bad. I was in our room getting the baby settled when I heard her walk out of her room, as she always does, and so I told her to get back to bed and I was getting a little upset with her for not listening to me. Then it became clear why she didn't. After it was all said and done she wanted to apologize. Poor thing. The event is still fresh in her mind. She's talked about how "then I spit out noodles" to a few people.
She is definitely better now. No more getting sick, but she has taken herself up for nap since Friday. So far no one else has had any symptoms, but I wouldn't put it past the universe to sock it to me tonight.
On Saturday we decided to play tourist and go into the city and visit the Natural History museum. Bridget requested a "dinosaur museum" and we hadn't been in a while.
When we travel, I go to great lengths to not stick out as a tourist. If I need a phrase book, I keep it in my purse and study it at night, in a bathroom stall or try and hide it under the table. If we need a map, I try and be discreet (I really like the Moon Metro series, btw). I just want to blend in. I spend a lot of time in the summer annoyed by tourists on the Metro and I don't want to be the same thing to another person.
However, this weekend I decided that this was totally silly and whipped out the camera on the mall to snap some photos of Brendan and Bridget with the Capitol in the background. After all, we were surrounded by tourists and no one knows that we live just across the river. Plus if anyone asked, we could always pretend to be from Baltimore, Pittsburgh or Ohio. No problem. A nice lady even asked if we wanted our picture together. Sweet.
The museum was a total hit. Once we got to looking at stuff, that is. By the time we got bags packed with diapers and lunches and the camera and the kids into the car and to the Metro station and finally to the museum we all had to hit the restroom and John was hungry. Note to nursing moms, there's a quiet spot next to the IMAX theater entrance with a single bathroom (and changing table and chair!) and benches outside. While I nursed, Bridget let loose to the totally awesome muzak that was playing:
And then, the rest of us decided we should get some lunch. So it was down to the cafeteria to eat the food we brought with us.
Now, finally, we were ready to see the museum. Bridget declared it "the best museum I ever saw."
