Thursday, December 15, 2011

Please tell me I'm not the only one...

Some kid activities: I love. I enjoy reading stories to them and playing card games and taking walks and talking about all of their endless questions. I love to do puzzles with them and play sports and go swimming.

But there are a few activities that for whatever reason...that part of my brain does not connect and they drive me bonkers. The first of these that I noticed when the kids were little(r) was blocks. Sit me down with a pile of blocks and I feel like I am being punished. What am I supposed to DO with these things? I can make a tower twice and then I'm done. And I have zero creative capacity for building structures without a pattern set before me.

The other one that drives me crazy this time of year is a living room full of tunnels and forts. You know the kind: all the couches are pushed into the middle of the room and the pillows and blankets are placed just so to create a perfect labyrinth of tunnels and crawl space. Brian often sets these up for the kids and they LOVE them. But then Brian leaves for the day and within five minutes the kids are all "MOMMY!!! It's broken! Fix it! Luke messed it up!!! The pillows!! They're all WRONG!!!  Fix it!! MOMMY!!!!" Except that I cannot fix it - no matter what I try, it's not quite right and the tunnel no longer exists and every fiber of my being is screaming "I just want to put the couches back where they belong!!! Everything is out of place and it JUST ISN'T RIGHT!!! Please, please, PLEASE can we put the couches back now?!?!"

Please tell me you have one of these things. (And Brian, I love you dearly. Somebody has to be the fun parent.)

5 comments:

Jen said...

I SO could have written this post! I hate clutter and mess and having things out of order. 3 kids has stretched me (literally and figuratively!). To add to your list, I hate play-doh...can't stand the feel or smell. It's pretty hilarious watching me try to get the play-doh out of the can for Emmaline w/o touching it and, of course, it is her favorite thing to play with!

Kate said...

For me it's-- Mommy, play soccer with me. Which means lets go outside and show the neighbors how dorky you run while I kick the ball across the street 200 times. Or into the ditch in the back yard. In the sweltering heat.

Weed said...

Ha! I was just building towers with Rebecca today. I don't mind that half as much as bendaroos. Rachel has trouble using them by herself and always wants me to help her. I hate how sticky they make my hands. Thankfully she forgets about them for long periods of time before she asks again!

bluedaisy said...

I don't mind blocks- I go for a pyramid every time but don't get too far before someone destroys it. Or we lay them in a row to make a "road" for matchbox cars. Blocks are okay for me.
But the fort thing? Ugh! I try not to be a party-pooper but I also can't stand the whole "it's messed up now...waaaahh!!". Well, maybe if you didn't try to shovel EVERY blessed toy you own INTO the fort, it would last a little longer. Or lay on top of a blanket that I already told you wouldn't hold you up. Chloe is a real buzzkill with the tent/fort as well- she lives to destroy.

Pam said...

I love reading and crafts and games like hide and seek but the couch thing really bothers me too. I even know a woman that bought a couch with cushions sown on for that reason! (she has two rambunctious boys). My biggest "chore" is Lego sets, which I know makes me a horrible mum, but I end up having to make it and then it gets all bashed to bits and they want it re-made. Sigh. I also don't like playing pretend Superheroes. At 42 I think I've earned my right not to have to be a Power Ranger.