We freeze. Cosette asks, wistfully, "Is Daddy home?" as if Greg had a habit of ringing the doorbell at his own house. Juliette more logically wonders "Who could it be?" While I, pulling down my shirt tails and smoothing my hair (because I must be looking as unkempt as you'd imagine a person should be who has been screaming at her children at the top of her lungs for going on 45 minute now), wonder "Do you think they heard me and are going to report me to DCFS?"
So I plaster a pleasant smile on my face and open the door and who do I see? Our 15 year old neighbor, with Lucy at his heels. I am puzzled. "Hello" he says, and he's not acting like he's thinking of running down the road to report me to the police. Then again, I've heard some yelling coming from his house on occasion, too. Tit for tat. Anyway, he tells me that "I was running at the track" which is a few blocks away "when I noticed Lucy there. So I brought her back."
"Lucy was at the track? And you brought her back?" was my intelligent reply. "Thank you so much!" And he turns around and starts to run back. What a nice boy, despite what I've overheard his parents
Dumb dog. Or maybe she was the smart one. She saw my mood and decided it was a good time to make herself scarce!
I just hope one day it is not my kids that are running away from me. I was fond of doing that myself as a very young girl. Once, when I was four or so, I ran all the way to my uncles's house. Which was one floor up from us. Still, I dragged my suitcase up all those stairs all by myself. Funny thing is, I feel like running away right now, too. However, if I did run away right now, DCFS- or my mother- would most certainly take my children away from me, and I'd deserve it. And as mad as I am right now, I certainly don't want that.
So I called the dog in, closed the door behind her, and on cue everyone jumped back in right where we left off. Screaming, yelling, stomping, sniveling... and Lucy looking out the window with a wistful look in her eye.
Maybe I need to buy my own pair of ruby slippers.
A little reminder that there is no place like home for
only $34.00 from endless.com!
2 comments:
Sometimes,we just need to yell & scream.Hopefully the girls don't want to see mommy screaming again & will behave better.Don't feel guilty, mothers everywhere have been there.Hang in there all & all they are good girls.(& totally adorable)
No, I would not take them,only maybe to give you a break.
I remember those days -- somewhat wistfully. Grandchildren will someday make it all worthwhile!
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