Priorities
Riley and Adam tracked back in to school on Monday, and I came up for air only to realize that October will be over before I know what hit me. They were so excited to go back to school. Yesterday morning Riley followed Adam around all morning carrying his backpack and making sure he was ready to go. “Got your shoes on, Adam? Here’s your backpack! Time to go back to school today.” Adam met all this sisterly mothering with considerable grumbling but seemed happy enough when he got to school.
During track out we shopped for Halloween costumes. The girls had decided before we ever got to the store that Riley would be Cinderella and Zoe would be Ariel this year. Fortunately, Party City had those costumes in the correct sizes (imagine my consternation a few weeks earlier when Riley was saying she wanted to be Tasha from the Backyardigans and I discovered that no one had a Tasha costume at all nor any Backyardigans costume in a size larger than a 5T). I enjoyed listening to the conversation as the two of them decided to be princesses and which ones (“No, you be Belle, Zoe. I’m Cinderella.” “I don’t want to be Belle. I want to be Ariel. Momma, do I get to swim if I’m Ariel?”), too. Adam is going to be a storm trooper. I wanted to get him a Superman costume (he could care less at this point), but the closest size they had in that one would’ve been sitting in baggy bunches at his ankles. So, he’ll be a storm trooper. I can’t wait to hear what Kevin’ll say when Adam decides not to wear his mask. Last year he wouldn’t leave his Spiderman mask on and Kevin told everyone that Adam felt it was about time everyone knew his true identity. I decided to get a butterfly mask and wings to wear myself to the Fall Festival this year because I knew that the girls would be thrilled. Then I said aloud that we’d have to find something for Kevin to wear. The girls had been looking at the adult costumes while I picked out my wings and chimed in immediately and with great determination that Kevin should go as a banana. I told him that it was a true sign of my love and affection that I put aside their adamant opinions and got him the makings of a Lone Ranger costume instead.:) I laughed all the way through the store thinking of Kevin in a banana costume.
The kids have started practice for the Christmas play at church too. Riley has a line to say this year, and she thinks that’s just the best thing ever. My good friend Geri tells me that while all the other kids at practice could care less about following the script, Riley insists on having a copy and knowing exactly where they are on the page.:) Riley came home telling me she would get to be Cinderella for the Christmas play, and of course Zoe immediately said, “And I get to be Ariel!” Sure enough, the older kids are all going to be toys this year in the play (and thus, will wear their Halloween costumes). I read the information sheet with some dismay because it said that the preschoolers would all be part of the nativity scene. I was thinking, “How am I going to tell Zoe she has to be a cow or a sheep and not Ariel?”
Then yesterday Zoe and I saw a friend in the grocery store who had watched the play practice and I asked her if she had any idea what sort of animal Zoe was going to be (forgetting momentarily that Zoe was listening and would not like this at all). Zoe began protesting, “No, no, Momma. I’m going to be Ariel in the Christmas play.” My friend looked at both of us and said, “Actually, Zoe’s Mary.” First I thought (and said), “Oh, that’s neat!” Then I thought, This is going to be the most hilarious nativity scene I’ve ever seen. I turned to Zoe and said, “Zoe! You get to be Jesus’ mommy. You get to be Mary!!” Zoe burst into tears—the alligator-sized, drip off your chin kind—and said, “No! I don’t want to! I want to be Ariel!”
“But Zoe, you get to hold a baby during the play.” This was my attempt at creative parenting and persuasion, but it seemed to only make the tears come more quickly. Finally I got her calmed down and I asked, “Why don’t you want to be Jesus’ mommy?”
“I know but, but, I know but, I don’t want to be Jesus’ mommy ‘ecause baby’s are too heavy for me!” I wish you could have seen her hands moving in the air and those wide eyes as she said that.
“Zoe, you won’t be holding a real baby. It’ll be a baby doll.”
“Oh.” She paused to consider this and then said, “Well, but, I don’t want to be Jesus’ mommy. I want to be Ariel.” This from the child who was telling me just this morning that, “If a big fly landed on Jesus, I’d tell it to go away… ‘ecause I love Jesus.” Still, a mermaid with a sparkling tail does seem infinitely more exciting to Zoe than being the mother of the Savior of all mankind.:) At least in our family we have our priorities straight.:)
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