A family tantrum

Today started off pretty good. Sadie made herself an Eggo waffle so I got to sleep in until about 8 (always a plus). We didn't have to be anywhere until 11 so we lounged around the house until Jack woke up around 9:30. Then Jack decided he wanted to push Sadie's baby stroller. There was screaming and ranting over this worthless piece of plastic on wheels as if it had a hundred dollar price tag. Over and over again Sadie ripped the stroller out of Jack's hands which resulted in screams and wails and a "time out" in the garage for Sadie (only door I can lock from the outside:-)

This set us back a little and we ended up being a little late for story hour at Barnes and Noble with her little friends from the ward. I don't like being late. It frustrates me and puts me in a rather bad mood. After story hour we all hung out for a while and then everyone retreated to Chick Fil A for some lunch. We were on our way but Jack HAD to play with the train table a little longer so Sadie and I read a few books. One being probably the sweetest story I've ever read. We've been reading Mo Williams Knuffle Bunny books for years and there is now the third and final book out called "knuffle Bunny Free." It's about Trixie and her bunny (much like Sadie's Clifford) who ends up leaving her bunny on the plane. After a few weeks of mourning she decides that she is probably too grown up for her bunny anyway and thinks of all the children all over the world that Knuffle Bunny will make happy, since the plane will take him there.

The whole time reading this my heart was crying out "no, Trixie...you aren't too old for your bunny..you still need your bunny. Please don't let the book end like this." Well it didn't end in such a sad fashion, the fate of knuffle bunny is much worse (in my eyes at least). When Trixie gets back on the plane she ends up finding Knuffle Bunny in the seat pocket in front of her. At this point the reunion is too much for me and tears begin swelling up in my eyes...YES!!! Trixie can still have her knuffle bunny. She ISN'T too old. Then the saddest thing in the whole world happens. Trixie turned to the screaming baby behind her on the plane and asks her parents if their baby would like her knuffle bunny. I guess she had abandoned the thought of ever being reunited with him and decided it really was time to move on and give the bunny to someone smaller and, at the time, in much greater need. Her parents were shocked and asked her if she REALLY wanted to give the bunny that had been by her side for the last 7 years to this baby she didn't even know.

Tears were streaming down the cheeks at this point because I kept thinking of my Sadie not wanting her Clifford anymore. Anytime she gets a new toy that seems to take precedence over him at night, I switch them while she sleeps so I can see Clifford nuzzled under her arm. It gives me comfort to see her little arms around him because she still looks little to me with that silly dog at her side. I am not very graceful with this whole "growing up" thing. I guess it never occurred to me that my babies wouldn't be babies anymore and kindergarten is coming up this fall and then she's gone! Everyday, she'll be at school, and leave a void under my protective wing.

The day was pretty much shot at this point. Our friends had since gone and eaten at Chick Fil A. My GPS couldn't find the darn restaurant and the kids were screaming in the back seat while I was trying to get directions from an Chick Fil A employee on the phone. Jack was holding one of Sadie's broken horses that had tape all over it's tail. As he started ripping the tape off the screams escalated into a panicked wail and I ended up hanging up on the nice gentleman and having a tantrum of my own. I threw the horse out the window and told them if they couldn't share their toys they would get thrown away. It was dramatic, sudden and unfair. A battle went through my head. Should I jump out of the car and get the pony or follow through with my threats like my Dad told me to.

Driving away with the horse in my rear view mirror put a little sting in my heart. I thought of the toys on Toy Story and how sad it would have made them if Andy's mom just threw them out the window. The little girl inside me who cried when Nick punched her doll was crying out inside to turn around and get that stupid, taped and broken horse. I didn't turn around and cried the rest of the afternoon with Sadie over our loss. It was a sad and nostalgic day. We should have just gone to Chick Fil A with all the other kids. We'd still have a pony, Mom would be a little less insane, and there wouldn't have been nearly as many tears.

To make a long story even longer, we all went home had lunch and took naps (including Mom). Dad came home and took us to dinner at Chuy's that night and we all felt a little better and Sadie had since forgotten about her horse on the side of the road.

P.S. I've been back twice to find that blasted horse. I guess I'm the one who will never forget him.