My kid and notes from Year 3.11
February 13, 2019
The conversation that broke my heart
Checking in with JB’s preschool teacher, they told us that ze was really eager to share zir art with classmates, and oh, by the way, the kids did great in their lockdown drill. They were all really quiet, and they knew not to speak up or answer if someone came in calling for them. They were tested – someone came to the classroom and called out “[Class name!] Hi! Where are you?” and they were all quiet and hid.
JB chimed in: yeah, you don’t answer when someone comes in!
My heart broke into a million pieces and I wanted to set this country on fire. They are THREE to FIVE year olds, being tested so they stay quiet enough that in case of some entitled evil (probably domestic abuser because they usually are) guy coming in with a gun, maybe they won’t be murdered. All because this country won’t do anything about the domestic terrorists allowed to murder freely in schools, churches, synagogues and public spaces.
Learning to give
I sat JB down one day to explain why I was so preoccupied over the holidays. It kind of worked but it also kind of didn’t: “You know how you always have food to eat, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and snacks? (*ze nods*) And how you always have clothes to wear? And how we have a safe warm home to live in together? (*ze nods*) And around the holidays, mommy daddy give you some books? And grandma and grandpa will give you a toy and some clothes? (But just one toy!) Yes, just one. Some kids and families don’t have that. Some families don’t have enough money to buy food and clothes, so they didn’t have money to spend on gifts.”
JB lit up: Then WE can give them!
Me: Yes exactly! Mommy and Auntie Crystal put some money together and we told our friends, who gave us some money to help, and we bought presents for a lot of kids and warm clothes for some families.
JB: I want to give Bestie one of my toys.
Me: Ok, that’s sweet. Your bestie does have a LOT of toys though ….. maybe we should think of people who don’t have so many.
Later ….
JB: We have enough. We have a good amount of money.
Me: Yes, we work really hard and save our money so that we have a good amount, and we have enough to help people who don’t have enough food to eat or clothes to wear.
JB: I’m going to give Bestie one of my toys.
Me: So close!
Unfortunately, after we spent a week over the holidays with an incredibly selfish relative, ze took three steps back and started being grabby, greedy, and selfish again. Sigh.
Sully’s Scarer Fitness!
We’ve watched Monsters, Inc a few times and it’s been REALLY useful. I can send an amped up JB on a big run around the house: 20 laps, go! 15 jumping jacks, go! 20 more laps, go!
Ze likes to ask PiC to take the laps with zir, though, when he’s home, so this turns into a more participatory activity than it was originally intended to be. Also ze was startled on one of zir laps and veered into a wall, denting it, which put a damper on PiC’s enthusiasm for the indoor future-Parkour course I was plotting.
Precious Moments
Eavesdropping, while I called Bevmo
Me: Hi, I have an online order for pick up, is it ok for my husband to pick it up instead?
JB: you have a husband??
Me: …. Yes
JB: who is it? is he dead?
Negotiations for screen time (and a balanced approach) when I was sick
JB: After Mr. Wogers, can we watch a little Monsters, Inc?
Me: After Mr Rogers, you will do a session of indoor fitness and then we can do some Monsters, Inc. Do you want to do Scarer Fitness like Sully or normal fitness?
JB: Sully fitness!
Me: Ok, then we’ll start with running in place. Ready, set, run!
JB takes off running around the house.
Me: ooooookaaaayyyy, make that five laps, go go go!
Your inner Kanga. Or Roo.
JB: Mommy, can I give you a hug good night?
Me: yes of course *kneel down*
JB: I hope you feel better soon.
Me: thank you sweetheart.
JB, brushing my hair back and cupping my face: you’re just the right size.
Me: thanks?
JB: Kanga says to Roo, you’re just the right size for now. So you’re the right size, mommy.
Your inner Patrick Rothfuss
JB: Can I have the Elmo ABC song?
Me: But you just asked for something else and we agreed to that song. What was it ….. something ….. some….thing ….
JB: Some things are SIMPLY NOT DONE!
(Quote from The Princess and Mr Whiffle: The Dark of Deep Below) This doesn’t make me want the first book, that was sold out when ze was born, any less.
My little parrot
JB snuggled on top of me for five minutes. Then rolls off and says: Momma, make sure you go to sleep and get lots of rest ok? We have a very busy day tomorrow!
“JB: who is it? is he dead?” lol
I remember doing shelter in place as a kid but nobody really ever explained what it was for, which I vastly preferred to what I feel kids experience now (telling them explicitly they might be shot) which is terrifying.
At least the very young kids aren’t told what this is about but we can’t shelter the older ones for long.
Staying active as a kid wasn’t hard. I remember feeling like walking was so slow, I preferred running. Plus my parents were 70s/80s parents who generally sent us outside to play on our own. A lot of what they did consisted of mostly benign neglect, but if you’re in a yard with other kids, you do naturally end up running around quite a bit.
Re: the lockdown drills: argh. I don’t know how I’m going to manage when we get to that point. Our daycare doesn’t do them, but I can easily see my daughter being traumatized by the drill itself.
We did a lot of running as kids, too.
If they do it “well” (barf), the kids aren’t scared at the daycare age but I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like for them when they’re older and realize this is life/death.
I’m so mad that they have to do these training drills. Our kids should be safe from these maniacs. 😡
Love hearing about your interactions with JB! Kids, they’re exhausting but adorable!
Thinking we should also start talking about what it means to give to others. Hopefully we can get them to figure it out!
It’s about damn time we stopped this evil. How much longer are we going to put up with this, as a nation?
Oh man, school shooting drills!! It really sucks that this needs to happen, a fire and earthquake(where it’s prone to happen) drill should be enough for kids to practice if it ever happens. Outside of these disasters, kids should be safe and not be endanger of someone or group of people shooting at them.
Hahaha, watching Monsters Inc. motivated JB to workout. So cool! Hopefully JB keeps it up!!
It’s awful and I keep wondering how long we have to shout for change.
“So you’re the right size, mommy.”
When I want Baguette to move over and make room for me, I always say, “Mommy is Mommy-sized.” I figure it’s always going to be true, and not a value judgment.
It occurs to me that I have no idea how Baguette does in her school’s lockdown drills, and it also occurs to me that I do not want to know.
I like that phrasing!
I’m guessing you’re less unhappy not knowing.
The odds are quite good that I would not be happy with the answer I got, and there is nothing I can do about it.
Obviously, I can’t say enough about how utterly awful it is that JB is growing up in a world with lockdowns. Our district is making the move to ALICE (lockdown plus the option to evacuate), and I spent the anniversary of the Parkland shooting figuring out how to barricade myself in my classroom.
Needless to say, I went home and sent some emails and wrote some letters to let my reps know.
I glad JB’s school is working to keep the kiddos safe, but I’m furious that this is something any school has to consider.
SIGH.
Anyway, I’ll get off my soapbox and say just how much I love these updates. It is so fun to go back through the archives and see how much JB has changed and grown. ::waves hi::
I’m so mad on behalf of all our kids and educators being forced to train to work in a potential killing zone. It’s just too much and it doesn’t have to be this way!
I’m glad! 🙂 One of these days I will finally put that archive together for zir.