Are we going skating today?
The question of the moment from Abby. It’s a simple question, really. Only five words.
So why, when I hear them, do I want to punch someone in the head?
BECAUSE. I. KEEP. HEARING. THEM.
You see, the question stems from a conversation Abby overheard early last week.
“Yeah, maybe we could take the kids skating. Or bowling.”
“SKATING?!!!!” Both Hannah and Abby suddenly appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. “WE’RE GOING SKATING?!!”
“I gotta go. Bye.” I hung up with my friend Casey, with whom I’d just been discussing possible Spring Break plans. A break that doesn’t start till April 1.
“Not today, Girls. We were talking about one day during spring break. So I take it you vote for skating?”
“YEEESSSSSSS!!!!”
Explanation over. Or so I thought.
“Are we going skating today?” Abby asked a few hours later.
I patiently explained to her that I’d just been planning a possible skating outing for a date over a week hence. (Okay, I didn’t say “hence.” The kids prefer “forthwith.”)
“Oh. But I wanna go SKATING!”
Sigh.
Next day:
“Are we going skating today?”
“NO. We MIGHT go skating near the END of Spring Break. WHICH HAS NOT EVEN BEGUN YET.”
“Awwww! But I wanna go SKATING!”
Lather, rinse, repeat. At least once a day for remainder of week. Reduce patience and increase eye-rolling and SPEAKING. IN. ALL. CAPS.
Yesterday after church:
“Are…” – Do I really even need to type this again for you?
“NO. Not today. And if you ask again, the answer will be NEVER.”
TEARS OF ABJECT GRIEF AND SORROW.
Me, later, to Charlie:
“So… are we going drinking today?”
Okay, not really.
What I actually said to him:
“Do you mind if I punch you in the head?”
***
I’m submitting this for Wendy’s Life is Funny Carnival.
But only because I haven’t yet found a
Life is Overwhelming Carnival.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Wendy // Mar 29, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Um, I wanna go skating. Can I go with you? And can we go today?
Oh, and I think we need a Life is Overwhelming blog carnival. I see it being very popular…
2 Bridget // Mar 29, 2010 at 10:30 pm
My OCD son does this to me constantly… like every single day, no joke! I want to punch absolutely everything in sight. I so feel your pain.
Let’s go get a drink, Steph!
3 Helen // Mar 29, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Yikes. I’d have responded with “NEVER!!” long before…
4 katdish // Mar 30, 2010 at 12:17 am
Those little people will try to WEAR YOU DOWN. I never, ever, say that we MIGHT do something unless I’m ABSOLUTELY SURE we’re going to do it. Because maybe + unrelenting, incessant reminding apparently = Yes. Also, if you ask a parent a question, and they answer, “I don’t know”, try to rephrase the question as many different ways as you can, because they probably DO know, they just want you to talk to them some more.
Ah, yes…I feel your pain.
5 Kathy // Mar 30, 2010 at 7:13 am
I want to go skating but I’ll wait til tomorrow
6 Billy Coffey // Mar 30, 2010 at 11:22 am
I would love to join in here on how aggravating that sort of thing is, but I can’t. Because I’m just like Abby.
7 jasonS // Mar 30, 2010 at 1:08 pm
It’s a conspiracy, I tell you! They don’t forget, they know exactly what they’re doing. Little evil geniuses is what they are…
8 Heather // Apr 5, 2010 at 9:33 am
Sounds like my niece. She is one focused chica. She’ll ask, wait five minutes, ask, wait five minutes, ask, wait five minutes, ad infinitude. And each time she asks, she does so, sweetly, as if she’s never asked before.
I think she has a memory problem.
9 Duane Scott // Apr 7, 2010 at 2:30 pm
I just wanted to stop in and say that I am now following your blog again. I used to be, but due to some privacy issues, had to go incognito. I look forward to reading your post again, and hope you follow me back to my new site. Thanks!
10 Lavonda Pflug // Apr 15, 2010 at 11:28 am
You are funny.
Oh how I remember those days…but now my children are grown and my house is quiet…and I never get to take anyone skating…NEVER.
Enjoy your days now, for too quickly life moves on and the only annoying begging you will hear are the echos in your memory.
Blessings to you.
11 Elizabeth Channel // Apr 16, 2010 at 12:11 pm
My 8-year-old told me this morning that he likes the music in “bowling alleys” the best.
Somehow reminded me of your post.
Funny!
Leave a Comment