Moving Day

Originally published on Monday, October 29, 2007 at Tea at Three

He Just Wants to be Normal.

My youngest son was having a particularly hard day Saturday. You know, up too early- played too hard- ate too much junk food-got into too much trouble- etc. Well, by the end of the day he had managed to irritate me enough that I sent him to bed without any supper. *collective gasp here*After the usual door slamming, fit throwing, toy tossing episode he succumbed to lying on his bed sobbing. Poor kid was exhuasted. After I determined it was safe for entry, I went in to hold him, hug him and talk with him about his behavior and to reassure him that I did too love him.Here is how the conversation went:
Him: I hate my life.
Me: Wow, Son. That's too bad. Can you tell me what you don't like about it? Maybe I can change it.
Him: Well, I just want to be normal.
Me: Normal? How are you not normal?
Him: First, how many kids do you know who have a bike?
Me: *thinking* Hmm... I think almost every kid I know around here has a bike.
Him: Exactly. Everyone but me.
Me: True. Your bike is pretty much kaput. How many have you had in your life though?
Him: Four
Me: So, it's just that right now you're without wheels and that makes you angry.
Him: Yes. And Nathan, Sterling, Logan, JJ, Keaton-they all have Play Stations. We'll never have one of those.
Me: Right. Your daddy and I think there are better ways to play than video games.
Him: But it would help with my hand and eye coordination.
Me: True. But so do other things like playing catch, building things with Legos.
Him: An Trick or Treating. We're not getting to do that this year.
Me: True. We'll be and Nana & Papa's. But you've been able to go every year in the past. This year it didn't work out. You're getting to go to the children's symphony though.
Him: I hate the symphony.
Me: How do you know? You've never been before. You get to do a lot of things other kids don't get to do.
Me: You know, homeschool is not normal. Do you want to go to public school?
Him: No, homeschool is good. I'm fine with that. It's just that we don't have all the things other kids have. We don't have a camper, a pool, video games, paint ball stuff, a pool table all kinds of stuff.
Me: Really? You have a daddy who works very hard to make it so we have a home, food, so that I can stay home with you and teach you. It comes down to me working at nights. Is that what you want? Because that's what it would take in order to give you all those things you want.
Him: No. I would miss you at night.
Me: I love you Eli.Him: I love you too Mamma.
Posted by ~~~~~~~~oney~~~~~~~~ at 4:38 AM