On Friday I collect Beth from late games practice. She sits in the car, nodding in time with music that she alone can hear through her headphones. She does the same at supper.
The next day is Saturday. I collect her from some sort of inaccessible school thing with a friend, drive them both to the friend's house, wait while the friend changes, drive them home again.
On Sunday I take Beth riding, do the shopping while she does various terrifying things in a ring; collect her and drive her home.
On the way, she pulls out her headphones. "Mum," she says, "You know our problem?"
"What?" I ask.
"We don't spend enough time together," she says, with the air of someone dispensing hard won and valuable information.
But she does, unasked, help carry the shopping in, make me a cup of tea and, later, sits heavily on my lap - she's as tall as I am now - to give me a box of chocolates and my Mother's Day card decorated with hand drawn daffodils. So this time, I take it as the well intentioned advice it's undoubtedly intended to be.
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18 comments:
Beth sounds like a real sweetheart!
And well deserved too by the look of it.
Mums. No one earth quite like 'em.
Hope you enjoyed your day.
I have forgotten how old Beth exactly is, but I am happy to read that she'll still park herself on your lap, because surely that is where every child belongs, no matter what age they get to be.
I remember the days when my kids decided they were too old for that and this caused me some grief, as I missed holding their bodies with their long awkward limbs in my arms.
To this day, I would love it if my daughter would at least come sit very closely to me on the sofa and be hugged tightly while we speak of nonsense things.
I mis my son and I am sorry that I will never be able to hold him again, even though he towered way above me and had huge hands and feet.
You always keep wanting to pull your kids on your lap, no matter how old they get, and we never spend enough time with them when we should and we don't realize that until later.
Ahhh! A handmade card?! This post made me well up, how sweet (cling to this memeory, lol).
Ah.h.h.h..... you've gone all pink and fluffy on us! I knew it must be lurking in there somewhere.
Bonnes fetes Maman! You should think yourself lucky, I got nowt! (Bit of a mix up over UK/French dates....that's his excuse anyway.)
And I hope you didn't share the chocs - that's the usual trick isn't it? They give you a wonderful, delicious gift and then sit there with doleful, starving eyes until you've given them practically the whole box. Pah!
Kids! Who'd 'ave 'em?! (I don't know why I seem to be turning into a Cockney market stall holder. Sorry.)
Mya x
I never see my fifteen year old without his iPod ears. He nods his head at me happily, knowing he can't hear a word I'm saying.
I used to be hurt by this, but now I just use the opportunity to say what I really want, knowing he can't hear me anyway.
Does wonders for my blood pressure.
Children. They are a joy, aren't they? (By the way - any word from Debio yet? I know she's out there because - at least I think it's her - someone's been checking in on my blog from Dubai...)
Ahhh, parenting a teenage-aged daughter: Full of uncertainties, re-lived adolescent angst, unintentional land mines and absolutely no outcome guarantees.
Kinda sounds like a trailer for a new blockbuster movie ~ nope, just life as mom!
Happy mums day!
Aaah! Sometimes I think just sitting next to them, even though not actually conversing, is the more heavenly option. My older two are both about an inch bigger than me now and still plomp down on my lap from time to time.
That is just sooo lovely!! :)
You have a very wise daughter. I don't think you can ever spend enough time with your kids. They aren't kids for long.
Crystal xx
Thank God there are upsides to having a daughter- everyone ha been feeding me horror stories, and the poor baby has't even been born yet!
I have a little award waiting for you at my place.
Since I've been working such long hours (hopefully temporarily) Ben has wanted me to lie on the bed next to him at bedtime for a chat and a cuddle. Which is nice.
Unfortunately he has a high sleeper with no ladder (ladders are for wimps) which makes getting out very difficult.
Also, I fell asleep on his bed the other night and he had to go downstairs to ask Daddy what to do with me!
I miss you when you're gone!
I have one of those Belle. She's 13 and still sits on my lap - it's a killer. They do surprise you sometimes, just when you think everyone takes you for granted they do something nice. My mother's day card consisted of a list of all the things I do for her.....now..if only she'd do some of those things herself.
Marla: Love/hate hate/love. I'm pretty fond of her, really.
Crazycath: In my children's case, probably just as well there aren't too many like me.
SweetI: She's 14 and very, very tall and skinny and it is nice that she still sits in my bed....
DJK: I'll try to cling to the memory but keep trying to use emotional nitromorse on it...What shall I do?
IB: Hard on the outside, pink and fluffy on the inside, hormonally challenged everywhere else...think it would take on as a Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavour?
Mya: Don't tell me you fell for that old French vs UK dates ruse? My husband tries the same thing with city vs suburban time (according to him, we're still round about October 1977 in this neck of the woods) but I find hitting him repeatedly with collected episodes of Z-cars answers very well here.
The rotten correspondent: I think that's taking not talking to new levels and I will do the same once have mastered zen-like calm, or at least, not ripping out earplugs and screaming.
Potty M: A joy? Hmmmmm. Good news about Debio. Come in, Debio....
Molly gras: No guarantees? What? You mean I'm potentially doing all this FOR NOTHING. I'm off.
Expat Mum: You and the Rotten Corr clearly have same good ideas. I can learn. I probably won't, though.
Casdok: Glad to oblige with fluffiness
CJ: So very true and wise
Kelly: Don't listen to anyone. It's fine. It gets easier as they get older because you can talk to them and they don't want to stick everything up their nose or sick it down your shoulder. Infinitely better in my book.
Sweet I: How delightful - and thanks for saying you miss me. I have missed you too and am sorry haven't been around - just horribly busy with work...
Beta Mum: Even your comments read like posts. That's delightful.How did they get you down? Block and tackle for me if I get marooned like that, I fancy.
Mid-lifer. That's very funny. They have no sense of irony, do they?
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