Tag Archives: Little Isis

The Saga of the Lost Glove(s)

Dear readers, I begin today’s post with a question for you all.  What suture do you believe would be most appropriate for securing my child’s gloves to his hands for the remainder of the winter?

Figure 1:  I was considering a 3-0 coated vicryl on a reverse cutting needle.  Vicryl is typically absorbed within about 2 months, which should get us through the rest of the winter.  But, I’m open to suggestions.

I kid you not, were it not for the threat of prison (which I would not do well in.  I would be popular, no doubt, but I would not do well)….

Little Isis is now officially on his fourth pair of gloves this winter.  And we are less than two months into winter in this part of our fair country.  We began the season with a cool pair of red gloves that Little Isis picked out himself.  When one of the sporty red gloves was lost after a week, I picked up a cheap pair from Target.  Really, they were one of the last pairs that Target carried as the mothers who knew better had already stocked up on multiple pairs for the season.  Then, when one of those was lost, we went a week or two without gloves until it became cold enough to break out the serious winter jacket.  The serious winter jacket comes with hardcore, attached mittens.  These mittens are no joke.

Except that as of two days ago, one of the mittens is officially MIA. How he got the mitten off of the jacket is beyond me.  I suspect that the mitten may have realized its eventual fate and made a run for it.

Now, frequent readers of this humble blog may remember that my son regularly melts down over a Croc that he lost more than three years ago.  My kid holds vigils for this Croc – a Croc that he has named Friendy.  The gloves, however?  Fuck those bitches!  He thumbs his nose in their general direction. Little Isis cannot be bothered to find room in his cold, black heart for a lost glove.  I am convinced that, come springtime when the snow melts, we are going to find  the playground at his school to be littered with the soggy, mud-crusted remains of all his lost gloves.

Figure 2: Thank you for your bravery, fallen soldier. (source)

Last night, after I learned of the lost glove and that he had been wearing a pair of his friend’s gloves for two days, I confronted the young lad about his apparent disregard for warm winter outerwear.  I, perhaps, expressed dismay that a non-insignificant portion of my grocery budget is being spent to keep this kid in gloves and that, based on current projections, he will need 5 more pairs of gloves before the end of winter.  His response?

“Mommy, don’t get angry at me about this or I am going to call the police.”

What could a mother do except pull her phone from her purse, hand it to her misguided offspring and inform him, “Go right ahead.  But, do you know what happens when the police think that children aren’t cared for?  They take the children away and send them to live with a new family.  I can only hope that this new family is rich so that they can afford your glove habit.”  Thankfully, he had the memory of Friendy the Croc to comfort him because his mother is clearly an uncaring troll of a wench.

And, if I do get thrown in jail over a glove, at least maybe I’ll get a full night’s sleep.

Restoring the Balance…

Dr. Isis blogs often about managing a family while having a career.  Frankly, I consider the dual spheres of my life to both be essential to my long-term happiness, but family is really the major source of joy in my life and the greatest part of the beginning and end of my day. I love to wear an apron, cook dinner, give baths, read stories, and rock the Isis kids to sleep.  Except tonight I have something to confess…

 I am a little tired of being with the immediate Isis family and am ready to go back to work.

I feel like a horrible mother, but I am ready to end my vacation and go back to work and reestablish the regular routine of my life. I appreciate the need to go away and spend time with my husband and wee ones..  I really do.  We have been at Grandmom Isis’s house for the last four days and, I must be frank, four days of full-time, unabated mommyhood (especially to a two year old) is about my limit.  I really need the duality of work and family in my life in order to function.

I have had an amazing time with the Isis women.  We sat and had coffee and laughed.  We went out today and did some Isis women-stuff.  And, this visit, we stayed largely sober.  Brother Isis was here for a day and it was great to see him. Still, packing up the family and traveling to a new home (no matter how wonderful your family is and I have the best one on Earth) is really, really stressful.  As much as Mr. Isis and I may love our family, their home is still strange to the rugrats.  Strange smells, strange beds, and people they have to refamiliarize themselves with.  Their house may be comfortable, warm, and loving, but there is still an array of things to touch and climb on and break. 

The Isis clan has slept no more than 3 hours per night for the last four nights.  And then, there’s Little Isis.  Little Isis is a good boy (he really is), but there is something about being at a strange house that makes him completely and utterly wackaloonTM.  He has embraced his role as the modern Houdini with vigor.  Earlier today Mr. Isis put Little Isis down for a nap and Dr. Isis ran out with the Isis women.  When we got back I found a frazzled looking Mr. Isis and a small, naked Little Isis, screaming and flailing like I have never seen a small child scream and flail.

Apparently while Dr. Isis was away, Little Isis snuck out of the bedroom he was sleeping in and disassembled a small electric candle in a neighboring room.  Little Isis then touched the exposed copper wires and became intimately acquainted with Ohm’s law .  As I comforted him we discussed the principles of current, resistance, and voltage.  I think he totally gets it now because he keeps pointing to his hand and saying “Mommy.  Current.  Owwie.”

Isis%20versus%20candle.jpg

Figure 1: The meeting of one small electric candle and one small child  can only end in disaster.

 Dr. Isis loves the extended Isis family and has had a wonderful visit, but she is ready to return to her routine — the routine that makes the Isis family work and keeps Dr. Isis from losing her freakin’ mind.  Full-time parenting is tough work and, I won’t lie, I don’t have the temperament or the patience to do it full-time.  It’s fascinating to me to interact with friends I grew up with — some are full time, stay at home mothers.  Some have chosen to not have children, and some (like Dr. Isis) cling tightly to the delusion dream that they can be successful mothers and careerwomen.  I am convinced that we all have to choose the balance that best supports our family and leaves us fulfilled at the end of the day.  Personally, I need my career and I need my grown-up time.

 As an aside, should your child ever get electrocuted by a welcome candle at your family’s house, nothing will cheer him up like watching the Macy’s Parade get Rickrolled on YouTube:

 

Also, Little Isis digs UglyChristmasLights.com.