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I love a lot. I wait a lot. I try to find a lot to laugh at. I don't usually have trouble with that. I pray a lot. I'm not always sure who or what I pray to, but I firmly believe that prayer makes a difference. I try not to panic very often. I try to learn something new every day. I spend a lot of time poking my nose into other peoples' bidness via their blogs. I clean up an awful lot of feathers. You can dress me up, but you can't really take me out. I travel a lot when I can find bird sitters and we take them with us when I can't. I drink, prolly to excess, but I rarely get sick because my body is a hostile environment to germs (or maybe no SELF RESPECTING germ would LIVE in my body?) I collect: gnomes, passport stamps, MONEY-preferably US dollars or Euros, red headed womyn and chicks named Stephanie. My Momma taught me many many years ago that girls don't fart, they foosie. She taught me lots of other chit too. Thanks for stopping by-leave me a comment and let me know you were here, feel free to link to me, or email me at jacquelynn.fortner@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Creative Parenting

I can just imagine the conversation.

"Are we there yet?"

"Stop touching me.  She won't stop touching me."

"Stop touching me.  She won't stop touching me."

"MOM!  She won't stop touching me and now she's copying me."

"MOM!  She won't stop touching me and now she's copying me."

I see mom studiously keeping her eyes on the road.  She is not remembering trips like these from when she was a kid.  She has three hundred miles behind her, and another three hundred to go, and the fact that conversations like these are going on in cars all across the country is the last thing on her mind.  She is tired, but she is excited, because although one door is closing and she has all her worldly possessions and everything and everyone she holds dear in this SUV with her, another door has opened halfway across the country and for once, she is going to take a chance and RUN, not walk, toward opportunity.  She is not running from something, she is running TO something.  

"MOM."

"MOM."

"MOM!!!"

"Don't MAKE me pull this car over!"

But they did.  I saw them on the side of the Interstate.  Mom, boy about twelve, girl about nine. Had it been me, I'd probably been leaning over the back of the seat swatting at little legs and screaming at the top of my lungs and making them sit on their hands for the next hundred miles.  Not this mom, though.  She calmly got out of the car, got the kids about 20 feet from the road, and made them start doing calisthenics!  Jumping jacks, running in place, pushups.  I had to pull over on the other side of the interstate to watch in awe as she WORE THEIR ASSES OUT.  No switches necessary for her.

I wish I knew who she was.  I'd nominate her for Mother of the Year.

8 comments:

Rassles said...

That is awesome. Kids deserve it, I'm sure.

Improbable Joe said...

That's just great, and smart too. Kids can't sit still for hours on end, and yelling at them doesn't help a bit. Wearing them out means everyone wins, and no one has to die!

Pseudo said...

Loved this. I have to admit, I swatted fromtime to time.

♥ Braja said...

Brilliant :))

Pearl said...

That was fantastic! What a great idea.
Like you, I'd have been reaching back, swatting and yelling. I mean, not saying that's a good idea or even productive in the long run, but calesthenics?!
Hope the little buggers took a nap and gave that woman some peace.
:-)
Pearl

darsden said...

That's child abuse, they aren't suppose to do anything but watch tv and play Wii!

Hilarious, I would have pulled over on the side of the road and watched, pointed and laughed at them. LOL

Glad I wasn't with you ;-)

derfina said...

Rassles-ALL kids deserve it at some point.

Improbable Joe-I know. Thus the desired ability to pass out Mother of the Year awards.

PHST-Me too. Or threatened to put them out on the side of the road and leave them there. This was the stuff of GENIUS.

Braja-Yes, she was!

Pearl-Yep-I bet they think twice before they start touching each other again!

Dar-I actually saw this on the way home from your house Sunday. I sat there ENTRANCED.

*smooches* to all!

Unknown said...

That is just great. I am totally the screaming into the rearview mirror, swerving while I swat mama! Which is why I will be doing very little traveling by car for the next year. Just not worth it!