“Mommy, what kind of plane does a rabbit fly?” 5 year old Nate asks. He wiggles excitedly.
Dana smiles wearily as she watches him. He couldn’t wait to tell her. It was obvious. She looks over at 3 year old, Reese, sitting across from Nate, rolling his tanker truck around in a circle. The very opposite of his brother, Reese is quietly engrossed in his own game.
Dana sighs and shifts ten-month old, Ian, from her left hip to her right. She dips her head out of the way of her baby’s chubby, wet-from-drool fingers as he tries to reach for her long braid.
“What?” she asks as she reaches up into the kitchen cabinet and pulls out the blue box of pasta off the shelf.
“A hare plane!” Nate shouts, cracking himself up. His laughter echoes throughout the room as he spins in a circle. “A hare plane!” He then starts jumping up and down.
“Ahhh…” Dana says, sighs again and turns back to the stove.
Of course - she thinks. She smiles as she moves the pot of water she filled five minutes ago onto the stove. She then turns around again and faces her excited son.
“Very funny joke,” she says, trying to be encouraging as she dips her head, yet again away from her baby’s fingers. If only she could put him down for a few minutes without him fussing – she thinks.
She watches as Nate continues jumping up and down all over the family room like a deranged monkey. He begins traveling the length of the small family room. He stops abruptly and screams “Whoa!” as he steps on a small red fire truck toy. The truck pops up from under his foot, sails across the space and hits Reese in the forehead, bouncing off and finally landing on the floor next to him.
Reese freezes, then grabs his forehead with both hands. His eyes scrunch close as his mouth goes wide.
Dana sighs inwardly. No.
“Aaaah….” Reese begins to wail. “Aaah!”
“Ugh,” Dana groans.
She walks away from the stove and out of the kitchen as Ian yanks her braid.
“Ow!” she shouts.
“Get it, Mommy, get it? A hare plane.” Nate starts spinning around in a circle again.
Dana places the baby in his playpen, delicately untangling his fingers from her hair.
She walks over to the wailing Reese and pulls him into her arms. She starts rocking him gently.
“It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay.” She gently moves his hands away and rubs the injured spot. She then leans forward and kisses it.
“Mommy? A hare plane! Isn’t that funny?” Nate asks. “Isn’t it?”
“Yes!” Dana says, impatiently. “I get it. I get it. Nate, you just hit Reese in the forehead with the fire truck. Can you say ‘sorry’?”
“Sorry, Reese! A hare plane, Mommy. A hare plane!” He cracks up again, his laughter filling the room as Reese’s wails grow louder, competing with the laughter as if in a dueling sound war.
The wall of sound surrounding her, Dana sighs again and shakes her head, as she continues to rock the wailing Reese. She looks towards the clock on the microwave oven.
Dana smiles wearily as she watches him. He couldn’t wait to tell her. It was obvious. She looks over at 3 year old, Reese, sitting across from Nate, rolling his tanker truck around in a circle. The very opposite of his brother, Reese is quietly engrossed in his own game.
Dana sighs and shifts ten-month old, Ian, from her left hip to her right. She dips her head out of the way of her baby’s chubby, wet-from-drool fingers as he tries to reach for her long braid.
“What?” she asks as she reaches up into the kitchen cabinet and pulls out the blue box of pasta off the shelf.
“A hare plane!” Nate shouts, cracking himself up. His laughter echoes throughout the room as he spins in a circle. “A hare plane!” He then starts jumping up and down.
“Ahhh…” Dana says, sighs again and turns back to the stove.
Of course - she thinks. She smiles as she moves the pot of water she filled five minutes ago onto the stove. She then turns around again and faces her excited son.
“Very funny joke,” she says, trying to be encouraging as she dips her head, yet again away from her baby’s fingers. If only she could put him down for a few minutes without him fussing – she thinks.
She watches as Nate continues jumping up and down all over the family room like a deranged monkey. He begins traveling the length of the small family room. He stops abruptly and screams “Whoa!” as he steps on a small red fire truck toy. The truck pops up from under his foot, sails across the space and hits Reese in the forehead, bouncing off and finally landing on the floor next to him.
Reese freezes, then grabs his forehead with both hands. His eyes scrunch close as his mouth goes wide.
Dana sighs inwardly. No.
“Aaaah….” Reese begins to wail. “Aaah!”
“Ugh,” Dana groans.
She walks away from the stove and out of the kitchen as Ian yanks her braid.
“Ow!” she shouts.
“Get it, Mommy, get it? A hare plane.” Nate starts spinning around in a circle again.
Dana places the baby in his playpen, delicately untangling his fingers from her hair.
She walks over to the wailing Reese and pulls him into her arms. She starts rocking him gently.
“It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay.” She gently moves his hands away and rubs the injured spot. She then leans forward and kisses it.
“Mommy? A hare plane! Isn’t that funny?” Nate asks. “Isn’t it?”
“Yes!” Dana says, impatiently. “I get it. I get it. Nate, you just hit Reese in the forehead with the fire truck. Can you say ‘sorry’?”
“Sorry, Reese! A hare plane, Mommy. A hare plane!” He cracks up again, his laughter filling the room as Reese’s wails grow louder, competing with the laughter as if in a dueling sound war.
The wall of sound surrounding her, Dana sighs again and shakes her head, as she continues to rock the wailing Reese. She looks towards the clock on the microwave oven.
Only two hours to bedtime – she thinks. Two hours – please come quick!
This post is in response to a writing prompt over at Red Writing Hood.
Poor Dana! I like this piece a lot. You captured perfectly the day to day drama that we stay at home mom's face every day-and the joke was pretty cute too! Nicely done:)
ReplyDeleteThis is so great! A perfect slice of life. Nice job with the prompt!
ReplyDeleteI loved: “Sorry, Reese! A hare plane, Mommy. A hare plane!” He cracks up again, his laughter filling the room as Reese’s wails grow louder, competing with the laughter as if in a dueling sound war. It captured perfectly how a kid, especially a boy, that age apologizes! I know it wasn't funny for Dana but it did make me giggle.
ReplyDeleteYup, that sounds like a very typical day for many moms :) Kids just don't understand anything outside of their own little worlds, do they?
ReplyDeleteVisiting from RDC
I had three kids 5 and under- including the fussy baby - so I related to this all too well! And WHY can't kids ever let a joke go?? Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI think every mother has looked at that clock and tried to decide of they can put their kids to bed for the night at 4:30. And then, realizing they can't, start the countdown.
ReplyDeleteLoved the joke, btw. I'm totally going to use it with my son tomorrow morning. :)
This is really great writing. As a mom, I could relate to this very real slice of a mom's day-to-day life.
ReplyDeleteI really love how each individual child's personality was captured. This is so true to life and the joke was really funny. Over and over it goes, that is exactly what my brother did too.
ReplyDeleteTwo hours can seem like the longest time in the world under those circumstances. Been there, lived that. Like others have said, very nice slice of life piece!
ReplyDeleteSo many little ones, too much time on the clock! I can relate to this, and I loved your descriptions...put me right there with the kids.
ReplyDeleteWe were on the same page with the corny joke in our prompts, but mine took a different turn! I enjoyed yours!
Yep. Yep. I only have one, but we totally have those days too! Great way of capturing the joys of mom-hood!
ReplyDeleteHere from trdc! :o)
I'm with Angelia - thinking the same exact thing - how you managed to carve out each individual child in such a short space. Really great. And sadly, so true in my world.
ReplyDeletePoor Dana!
Great job on this post! It amazes me how fleshed out the characters of the kids became in such a short time. Fantastic descriptive!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I've been there. You did a really great job with this...I was there with you cooking and not being able to put the baby down.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I loved the joke ;) I'm going to tell my kids.
still funny and relatable the second time through ;)
ReplyDelete