After School.

After working at the preschool all morning, the girls had their lunch while we killed time before picking up Parker who has an early day on Wednesdays.

We get to school, go to his class, and he comes out. All seems to be well. I asked all three of them if we should go or play on the playground. They all agree to play on the playground.

So I go sit down with a book while they go off to play. Within minutes, Parker says he wants to buy a frozen treat (koolaid with whip cream that they sell at the after school office for 50 cents that I have let them get all of two times in 8 months.) I told him that we had planned to get frozen yogurt, but we could do that instead. He agrees frozen yogurt is a better idea.

Within minutes again, Parker is back to me saying that Elizabeth won't share the ball with him. He doesn't want to ask her to share it without me. So I call her over and he asks her and she says yes. Within minutes, some kid takes their ball. They both get a little upset, but nothing over the top. I ask if we should go talk to the kid to see if it is his ball or not. Parker then says, "I NEVER HAVE A BALL THAT I CAN PRACTICE DRIBBLING WITH AT HOME! HOW COME WE DON'T HAVE THAT!!!" and then starts crying.

So I say, "Let's go" since I certainly don't want to sit there at be yelled at.

Miranda is on the slide about half way down. On the bottom of the slide, there are about 50 kids playing some trendy top spinning game. They do this every day. Every day Miranda knows not to go on the slide since they are blocking the bottom and she can't slide down. I tell her to climb up. She starts crying and screaming.

Elizabeth says, "I can go help her!" and runs off. I tell her, "No, I'll get her, you stay here."

I go over to Miranda who still can't even stand up and is screaming and crying even louder and now yelling at me for doing a bad job getting her off. I finally get her off and we start to walk away. Almost immediately, Elizabeth, who has slid half way down the slide herself, screams over to me, "Mommy! I can't get down." Knowing this is complete and total bullshit, I tell her to climb up and then get down. She starts screaming and crying, but...climbs up the slide. Then she starts to go down the other slide, but what do you know, there are boys there too. She screams and cries even louder. I start to walk away. She screams more. Then she slides down.

I walk to the car in silence. They all get in and buckle in.

I say to them. "You know guys, that was really lame and I didn't like it all. I was sitting there reading a book and within minutes, three kids are crying, screaming and yelling at me. Parker wanted a ball to play with, but the only way he could think of getting one was by screaming at me. Miranda wanted to not be on the slide, the slide that I've told her not to go on, and the only way she can think to get off is by screaming at me. Then Elizabeth, who I told not to get Miranda, gets stuck on the same slide and starts screaming at me too. I was being yelled at by three kids and I didn't like that one bit. It was really mean to me and I didn't deserve any of it. We're just going to go home now since I'm not happy."

Parker then says, "Sorry, ma'am."

I say, "I'm not a ma'am. I'm your mom."

He says, "Sorry, mom. I didn't mean to scream at you. Sorry I used that voice."

Miranda says, "Sorry, mom. I'm not crying now."

Elizabeth is silent.

Then we drove home.