when i was a little girl i spent 9 months of every year trying to think of the most seemingly impossible halloween costume to make, and, when the time came, i'd tell my mom that was what i wanted to be. just to see if she could manage it. ...and she always could.
it seems my son has inherited this trait.
except that he's put his own spin on it and molded the idea into a year-round challenge. none of which, so far, luckily, have involved sewing.
i've never thought of him as particularly manipulative, so i don't know that he's conscious of what he is doing. but somewhere along the way he's discovered that if he quietly states things that he's never had the opportunity to do, his competitive-natured mom will take it upon herself to provide that experience.
i know, right? but he says it in such a nonchalant, non-accusatory, i-don't-expect-anything-i'm-just-thinking-how-perfectly-dreamy-it-would-be-"if"-manner. that....i'm...literally compelled to make it happen.
i don't know, do little boy brains think in "dreamy" terms. having never been part of a little boy brain, i'm not sure. but, you get the idea.
although, there seems to be a ramping-up trend: i.e. in queue: riding in a helicopter & petting a kangaroo on a beach--one that has a baby in her pouch, so far the "challenges" haven't been too difficult.
this week i knocked one off the list: riding on a bus. i enlisted heidi & gracie to come with us, and at the last minute our friend landon & his mom joined in too.
originally i planned to take the bus to a restaurant within a 5-8 mile radius from us, eat lunch, and ride home. but i wanted there to be at least one bus transfer, & preferably a little walk between bus stops. i mean, if you're going to do it, do it right. after studying the bus routes intently online one midnite, i realized that what would take us maybe 2 hours max in our car, would take us 7-8 by bus.... so the plan changed. clearly.
while gracie and levi were in school, heidi & i drove our car to a pottery painting place that had a bus stop out front, & left 1 car there. after school, we had some lunch & went to the bus stop by our house. the kids were in charge of making sure we got on the right numbered bus.
unfortunately, there were not also in charge of making sure that we got off at the right stop. because we got off a stop too early. then we ran, well, i walked fast, about 4 city blocks. and still missed our transfer bus.
luckily there was another bus coming in 20 minutes.
unluckily we live in the desert. deserts are hot. and they also have wind. hot wind.
eventually we successfully navigated our way to the pottery store via bus where we met up with a couple more friends who didn't brave the bus with us.
now everytime we see a bus, levi tells piper, "i ride on buses pickles. did you know that? i do."
mission accomplished.
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