Leading up to this planned weekend trip to Greensboro is my "mommy gets away from it all" weekend trip to Chicago last weekend (over Memorial Day Wknd. The trip out was supposed to involve my leaving late afternoon on Monday but storms caused me to have a cancelled flight... resulting in my midnight arrival home the next night (Tuesday). That night was then spent taking turns to check on a sick Evie followed by working from home on Wednesday. Wednesday night included me actually trying to sleep IN Evie's bed from 3:30-5:30AM while she howled for most of the evening... Thursday I went to work while Evie went to the doctor (diagnosis: ear infection and possibly strep throat). Thursday night was a late departure due to my not having packed the night before and having to wait for Evie's prescription fill. Then we road trip it for 3.5hrs rolling into Greensboro LATE Thursday night....
Friday I telework from Panara. All. Day. Long. By 4PM I'm batty.
Saturday we get the party started at 6:30AM. Rob's comic convention (Heroes Con) is on its 2nd day in Charlotte and I've agreed to stop in before then taking Evie & my mother to Discovery Place. After taking an exit to grab McD's breakfast for everyone, I end up not taking 85 South (which was also marked as "Future 73/74 Corridor earlier in the trip). Nope, I am now ON 73/74 South. One hour later, 1.5 hrs East of Charlotte, I figure out my mistake.
So, now I am pissed off and texting Rob. He, too, is pissed off at my mistake and I take this to mean I really should try and get there rather then simply give up and head to the zoo instead (which, is what I was going to do at this point). We drive all the way BACK up the highway, catch a connecting back road, and then back DOWN 85 South. It takes us over 3 hrs to get to Charlotte. It should only take us 1hr + 15 minutes.
We meet Rob at Heroes Con and he (proud papa) shows her off to some friends. Evie's a bit fussy from the car ride + being sick + the crowded atmosphere... but it all goes pretty well. Rob's forehead is covered in beads of sweat and I know its from the stress of me breathing down his neck about being lost, frustrated and dealing with a fussy (confined in a car seat) toddler. Rob's a patient man...
We figure out, from the aide of the Convention Center help desk dude, that Discovery Place is a mere 6 blocks away. He attempts to talk me into walking instead of moving the car. The man is clearly in his 60's. I point to Evie's head as she stands at my feet. "Six blocks.... with this... is a long walk." I begin thinking of how Evie can barely cross the street without wanting to be picked up and how hot it is outside. He continually encourages me even going to far as to promote the city blocks as being "short blocks" and the a free trolley may whip through for us to catch. He wins, we start walking... we make it across the green grass park covering the where our car is parked below ground. Evie stops, "Pick me up, Mommy!" I make it a half block before walking all the way back to move the car to our destination instead of wasting more time with this anchor on my hip.
We were supposed to arrive in Charlotte by noon, leave Heroes Con by 1PM, spend no more then 2hrs at Discovery Place and head home by no later than 3PM. We would be home in time for dinner and, ideally, Evie would nap the whole car ride home.
Instead, we arrived at Heroes Con by 1:45PM and left by about 2:45PM. We've had no lunch and Evie is beyond fussy. We are totally off-track and I am beginning to get Clark Griswald on my mother & Evie as I demand we press-on with the schedule as planned...
Discovery Place costs $38 for the three of us, plus the $7 parking, so I now I am even more motivated to press on and stay on as late as we can all stand it.
We watch a 3D shark movie immediately after paying for our tickets and I do everything to hold Evie down while she refuses to wear her glasses. Thank God it ends in 15minutes... we quickly exit.
The first room we visit involves this elaborate water/play table for the kiddies. Evie, who loves water like a cat loves milk, gets in on the action. We drag her around to a few more cool set-ups (a life size light bright wall, a set of instruments built into the wall, lego mini go-cart racers). We then decide to hit the elevator for the next floor up. Evie is either not listening to me or not understanding and becomes howling mad. I tighten my grip like an anaconda with its prey... we are going to have fun if it results in this child's untimely death.
The second floor at Discovery Place is rather awesome. Emily and I ditched school one day to come out here and play... we were in college. The science experiments are seriously very cool but also a wee bit too complex for Evie. We skip around the wooden building block towers, the "build your own fort" corner, the section about what germs live in/on your body... we wrap the whole day up with the room that is designed for kids to make a mess. I know its time to go when, rather then be excited by the translucent pipes that shoot air straight up (kids can put wads of paper here and watch it blow around way up in the air), Evie is picking up the foam blocks kids can interconnect & put on a conveyor belt that moves them to the ceiling. Evie is also now getting very bossy about putting away these said pieces and taking them from a teenager, "Put them right 'dere! [pointing to a box]"
I scoop up Evie like a sack of potatoes. Evie then does what I have heard other kids do... but this was a first for her. She screams BLOODY MURDER in my ear and AT the room we are exiting. I turn around to offer a weak smile of both embarrassment and disappointment that my child has become ONE OF THOSE. The room is filled with faces looking at me.... the look on all the parent's faces is that of complete pity. I want to shirk off in the corner and die. Don't get me wrong, she's had meltdowns... but never of this magnitude. She is growing stronger and more defiant with age. I'm internal shaking to the core with the thought of, "If its this bad at 3... will I survive when she's 13?!." I shudder.
We walk past the water playroom again and I decide its better to end on a high note... and I turn her loose. She's smaller than the boys that soon show up at the water table and she actually lets a little boy rip the plastic watering can from her hands. I do nothing. I decide its better she learn to defend herself. I'm now contemplating if I have made the right move or not. I help Evie gather play boats (feeling guilty not having rescued her moments before) and she then loses those to an older girl. Fortunately, the watering can has now been abandoned and Evie descends upon it... she's back to having things her way. She asks for a snack and, seeing this as the perfect moment to advertise the benefits of going to the car to leave, I suggest we get the goldfish I left in the car.
Thank God grandma packed a banana (have I mentioned Evie only wants carbs or meat and nothing else to eat these days) and its gone faster than I can peel it. Evie devours a huge bag of goldfish and one granola bar. The drive home then gets bumpy as Evie decides to resuming the moment where she LOST HER FREAKIN' MIND back in the room where she screamed. She gets my attention by showing half her shoe (faux Crocs) with her foot still inside... IN HER MOUTH. I rip it from her teeth and through it in the car, "Are you CRAZY?" I ask... knowing full well that the answer is "yes."
For 20 minutes Evie repeats the phrase, "Mommy! I want my shoe back! Mommy! Mom? My. Shoe! I want it. Back. Mommy. I. Want. My. Shoe. Back. Mommy!" My mother bores a hole in the side of my head with her one eyebrow raised. She contemplates appeasing her granddaughter at the expense of her daughter attempting to discipline. A fight ensues when I explain to her that the tantrums will only getting longer, stronger and more violent in nature if I give in now. We "enjoy" the screams. I watch my mother go to a mental place she uses when moments like this occur.
The drive lasts from 5PM - 6:30PM. Many arguments, freak-outs and tantrums occupy most of this pleasant car trip... mostly from me. I'm on total. Eff'ing. Burn out. I have managed to drag everyone around to complete my "plan" for the perfect afternoon at the expense of every one's sanity. Once again, I am proving to be a bad mom.
The evening wraps up with dinner waiting at the house. Evie, of course, opts for eating nothing.
I run an errand and come back in time for teeth brushing/storytime. Evie eats the toothpaste, again.... I am anxious to get through the 2 books I have picked with little debate. Night-night, kiss-kiss.
I.... grab a beer. Tomorrow, is Sunday.... another day to fill with activities.
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