Had a phone conversation with a sponsor this afternoon.
In the course of the 15 minute phone call I:
entertained a fussy 16-month-old
sat her in her chair and gave her a snack
filled a sippy cup (half V8 Fusion/half water)
took notes on both paper and computer
went upstairs and wiped a 3-year-old's butt after he announced from the top of the stairs (naked, of course) that he had pooped in the potty
washed my hands
answered said 3-year-old that yes, his quiet time was over and he could go down stairs
gave him a snack when he asked for one
found my cup of coffee
All the while keeping track of my conversation with this person whom I am hoping will invest a lot of money in Running Kids. It was a Zen Mommy Moment. And what looks to be the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship.
On a side note--public service announcement, really--do not relay to small children that you are about to make a work phone call without first preparing for chaos and mayhem to rain down upon you because that is the precise moment when every living creature in your household vicinity will need urgent and immediate undivided attention.
11 comments:
This just made me laugh :)
Oh Lord how true!!! Why is that??? If I am running around in circles doing laundry and dishes mine is fine. THE MINUTE I get on the phone it's absolute mayhem. AND my husband suddenly wants to talk my ear off when I sit down to read my e-mails. Agh!!!!!
Miracle mom! Phone calls like that have me making vicious swipes at bothersome kids with eyes glaring and hissing whispers of impending doom emanating from my throat (with one hand covering the phone of course).
Ha...Elise (I still grin when I type that), I have that look too! It just isn't effective--at all! Maybe I need to work on that!
And, MV, I *cannot* carry on two different conversations--one on the phone and one off the phone--at the same time and yet *HE* insists on chatting with me while I'm on the phone and then gets all glarey back at me when I glare at him. Sheesh!
OK...I have to laugh when I visualize this, because it was just a few years (ok, maybe closer to 10) that you used to laugh at me and groan in frustration trying to carry on a half-way cohesive phone conversation while my 3 ran circles around me! The bathroom can be (briefly) a sanctuary...as long as it locks!
Funny how their 'radar' zooms in on those sorts of calls whether you tell them or not!!
Ahem...Donia, I believe I have apologized humbly and *profusely* over the past several years for any and all judgment that I,stupidly and naively, may or may not have passed on you during that time! And have you seen the way my son throws himself onto the bathroom door if it's locked?! I think for now I'll just stick with sitting them down and shoving food at them. That's healthy, right?
Don't think it's just a 'mommy' thing, either. As a stay-at-home Grandma I'm just going thru Round Two of childrearing. I've told Dear Hubby it's up to him to deal with whatever he needs done with phone calls. I refuse to do them anymore...at 55 I don't feel like refereeing all the behind-the-scenes mayhem my getting on the phone entails any more. I don't get on the phone AT ALL during the day unless I absolutely have to, and I even turn the ringer off during nap time. I keep the volume on the answering machine where I can hear what someone is saying - barely - in case of emergency...but that's IT!
This is so true. the kids will be happily playing for hours and then I get on the phone for a few minutes and all hell breaks loose. I do all I can for them while I'm on the phone. Getting food, helping with the potty situations, pulling them apart when they fight, reaching toys for them, but it's not good enough. So I end up locking myself in the bathroom so I can finish my conversation and they start banging on the door. . .
It's enough to make a grown woman cry.
This is why tranquilizer darts need to come in the "Mommy kit" that we *should* get when our kids are born (although I have yet to see one). And it's not just kids that do it to us - my cats and birds are the same way. If I'm on the phone, they just have to have attention *right then*, and waiting will not do! Ever try to have a conversation with four birds making all sorts of noise in the same room with you? It's almost as bad as the "Mommy mommy mommy MOMMY!" you get from a 3-y.o.
And what's worse is my adult offspring still do it, no matter how many times they get the STFU look from me....
BTW, if you don't mind a nosy question, what's "Running Kids"?
RP...not a nosy question at all! "Running Kids" is the organization that now supplies my small, but steady paycheck in exchange for the title of Director of Advertising and Sponsorship. You can find out more at runningkids.net
Oh, and so you're saying they *aren't* going to grow out of this any time soon?! Well. Fine.
Post a Comment