For love of a child

J cries. I work to console him. I work hard. I do odd things to entertain my child.

It is hot. It is sunny. I wonder if this is what troubles J. I put J's hat on. J rips the hat off and tosses it away. And he cries. I put his sunglasses on. J pulls them off. I try again. J pulls them off. And he cries. I give J his little toy froggie with the great big eyes. J tosses Froggie away. And he cries.

J cries.

I am desperate now. I put J's sunglasses on Froggie. J looks confused. Then, holding up Froggie, I make him dance about for J's pleasure. To "I Gotta Wear Shades". Sung by me. A cappella. And J giggles. He reaches for Froggie. He holds Froggie's little arms, and they dance together to the music. And J doesn't care that Mommy doesn't know all the words or that she's (probably) slightly off key. He is happy. I am happy.

But H is sad, because he was on a run to the store, and he missed the dancing.

**********

We go to Dairy Queen. Hot fudge sundaes are particularly yummy on hot days. We get a small sundae for J, and we take it home to feed him. We will eat our sundaes in the car on the drive home.

But J is tired of being in the car, and he wants some cuddles. Right now. He cries. He screams. And Mommy reaches back to offer some comfort. J grabs Mommy's hand and holds it tight. He cries if Mommy takes her hand away. Even for a second. Even just to spoon a mouthful of ice cream into her mouth. And so H feeds me the remainder of my hot fudge sundae at all of the various red lights that we hit on the drive home.

And I say, rather sarcastically: "I wonder if we're spoiling him".

I also wonder how he can possibly gag on soft-serve vanilla ice cream, but there you have it.

**********

J got his very first haircut today. He wasn't terribly pleased about it. But he really enjoyed sitting in the little yellow car.

And he had fun riding the dinosaur with Daddy.

He pulled away every time the scissors came near his head. And he was most displeased with the clippers going by his ears. But at the end of the day, his hair was properly cut. It is nice and short, and very boyish indeed. He looks so cute!

Before:
During:
After:
And After:
(Yes, he was incredibly irritated by the end. And nothing could console him; not even the proverbial pony, though I understand he really wants one, but ...)

We received a "My First Haircut" certificate, and a lock of J's precious baby hair to keep. (Must put in scrapbook.) I am happy, because they spelt J's name right on his certificate. His swimming certificate is wrong, but I never found time to go back to the pool and ask them to fix it.

And that's the life of the busy Mom-Employee-Student. They really need a single word for that title; it's too long. But "Molodent" sounds a bit too much like "Polident". I dunno.

**********

It is hot. Work was long. I think I ask too many questions. I don't like it. I wish I were quicker.

And I become incoherent when tired. Apparently.

'Night.