Cue Tantrum

Hey Skyelar, we are going out to lunch, so maybe wearing those leggings and that shirt is a bit too casual. Can you put on some proper pants and maybe a t-shirt under that sweat shirt?




No. This is fine.




Yeah, but first of all the colors are exactly the same or very close and that looks strange, and really leggings and that sweatshirt might be something you were around the house.




No. This is fine.




I’m gonna insist that you were something that is a bit more appropriate for going out to lunch. Please go change We are running late.




No. This is fine.




Skyelar, that outfit is not okay for going out. Go change it right now.




No. This is fine.




I am losing patience here. Go change your clothes.




No. This is fine.




Skyelar! We are late. Change your clothes now!




….cue tantrum……No. No. I don’t always have to do what you tell me. This outfit is fine. It is not weird!




I never said…..




Escalating tantrum….I will not change. Cue tears. Cue screaming. Cue running to mommy……




Daddy says I’m weird and my clothes are ugly. I DON’T WANT TO CHANGE. I’m NOT WEIRD.




Sobbing in Mairin’s arms.




Elapse time to about ten minutes later. She comes out of her room with a different coloured pair of leggings. This is somehow a compromise and we are both winners.


…


I’m gonna tell everyone my tooth is wobbly today at school.




You know. It is actually not that wobbly. Not really noticeable at all.




But you said last night it was wobbly.




Yeah, but now that I have felt it, it still feels pretty secure.




But you said last night it was wobbly.




I’m just saying it doesn’t feel wobbly enough to announce to your whole class.




But you said last night it was wobbly.




Skyelar! What can I say it is not wobbly.




You are a liar.




….cue tantrum……my daddy is a liar. Escalating tantrum….You said it was wobbly. Cue tears. Sobbing in Mairin’s arms.




We finally make it to the car. Each of us holding a heavy grudge. I realise I am involved in a stand off with a six year old over a wobbly tooth. I smile. She smiles.




Are we good?




But you said last night it was wobbly.




I suppose it might be.


…


I gots mentor comments to write before Game of Thrones people. Enjoy your Monday where ever you happen to be in the world.

Bad Teeth

My teeth are killing me. They really hurt and have been hurting all day. My sinuses are not great either, and I suspect that the two are connected. It’s like a low-grade constant throbbing ache. All my top teeth, or at lest the ones in the back and up by my ears.


The Advisory Summit was good today despite my lethargy and pain. Nadine, Duff and I are having some great conversations about what our mentor program could or should look like. Getting some good ideas by looking at what other schools are doing. Lot’s to think and talk about when we get back.


My afternoon was not glamorous by any means, but exactly what I needed- Had a few beers at the after summit social. Came back to my room and laid in bed watching the entire two hour Democratic Debate. Rustled up enough energy to walk across the street for a falafel sandwich, some fries, a 7-up and three Krispie Kreme donuts. Yes, I know those are not vegan.


I watched Room after inhaling all the food, and then watched Samantha Bee and Amy Schumer on youtube. While being able to rest has been nice, it is lonely in this room and I am ready to come home. Being alone for this long really makes me appreciate my family.


Now it is time for sleep.

Have Some Water

This is how daddy doctor cures all ailments:

Hey daddy, I don’t feel too well. I have a bit of a headache and I think I am warm…Have some water and let’s see how you go.

My stomach hurts and I think i have diarrhea….You are dehydrated. Drink a bunch of water and we’ll check back in soon.

Daddy, I have a scratch on my arm and it really hurts…Let’s get some water and clean it first. Then have a glass of water to get you grounded.

I feel like I need to pee all the time, but when I go nothing comes out…That’s an easy one you need to drink two huge glasses of water for the next few hours.

I have a cold sore and my gums are sore…You need to gargle
some salt water for that.

I think there is something in my eye. It really hurts…Wash that out with some water.

I feel like I am about to throw up…Drink some water.

I feel car sick…Have a sip of this water.

…

I was helping Skylark brush her teeth this morning and started to think about how all these little shared moments are slowly slipping away. Kaia is very independent these days with her personal hygiene and there are very few things she needs me to help with.

But with Skye, we are still learning and so there we are brushing and talking and teaching. Sometimes it feels a bit like a chore: how much longer do I need to brush her damn teeth, but on mornings like today, when I stop and thinking about it, I realize that these moments are what her childhood is all about.

“Still not wobbly daddy.” She says disappointed but optimistic. She has been waiting for a tooth to come lose for a while now. I cannot wait for the day when her first tooth finally falls out. It might not seem like much to you and I, but I’m pretty sure the idea of losing her first tooth occupies a lot of time and space in her little mind. I want her to know it occupies a lot of space and time in my mind too.

…

Had to take a break tonight. Decided not to run and no working on the novel. Something has got to give. It is the week before my big trip to Kenya, and although it is all but ready, I still find myself worried about the smallest details.

It is nerve wracking to take other people’s children to Africa.

So today, after teaching three classes, and an English department meeting, I had a meeting with the kids and parents going on the tip to alleviate any stress and answer any questions. It went well. We have a good looking crew, but i didn't get home till after six, and by the time I ate, got the kids in bed, and had a second to decompress, I realized that it might be okay not to run or work on the novel tonight.

I have learned that goals are met when we do not give in and quit, but since I have been on a bit of a roll lately, I am also learning that you have got to give yourself some outs occasionally- tonight is my out.

Once this piece is done, I hope to read a bit, maybe watch Portlandia and crash early. Tomorrow is a big day; we are only a few sessions away from the publication of our first middle school literary magazine.

…

People are already starting to post articles about the “unelectablity” of Bernie Sanders, and how although she might not be the best candidate for progressive liberals, that Hillary is the best candidate we got. I don’t have the energy to get into why this thinking is dangerous, right now, but I will say that as of this moment I want to put out my official endorsement for Bernie Sanders. I have not voted for years, but I really hope he gets the nomination.

…

Observations:

• Water cures everything. 
• The little details in a child’s life should be important to the parent just as much as the child, because they are fleeting for both. 
• Sometimes even the most goal oriented people need a break. 
• Progressives are more afraid of republicans than they are passionate about their values. 

1. What’s your cure all? 
2. What’s your breaking point? 
3. Clinton or Sanders? Why? Go? (If you are GOP, write in your candidate and reasons too. I’ll humour you.) 

yellowed

Every time I have brushed my teeth for the last few weeks, I have listened to a strange internal narration running through my head. I see the shots, feel the words, even hear the music.

Tonight, I made it come true:

Music by CSoul

yellowed

Your teeth will yellow
and appear crooked in your face.
They'll tell you about this,
but you won't believe them

Blindfolded by the invincibility of youth
the future feels so far away.
The present spiraling in circles and webs.
Wisdom, a distant luxury.

Your dreams will not come true
The "When I grow ups" will come and go
leaving you with some "what I am's"
or worse "what I should have beens."

One day the end feels closer than the beginning
and you have already forgotton so much.
A voice screams from within,
a stranger now
pleading for you to remember the promises

The places you could have gone
replaced with the place where you are.
The life you live.

Don't fret. Your mind will drift and dance through time.
You are everywhere, everyone all the time

Your teeth maybe yellow
but you brush anyway
They may identify you by them
when you are gone. 

 It was a fun way to spend Friday night. Hope you like it.