Today we went to the zoo. It was great, but Mike was super-cranky. When he’s like this he makes it his job to make my life hell. When he gets excited about something great, like knowing we’re going to ride the train at the zoo, he is frequently unbearable until the fun thing happens. He just doesn’t know what to do with all his energy and excitement. So he turns it on me.
The train is all the way on the other side from the zoo entrance, so we usually see a bunch of animals on the way and then have a train ride right before lunch. This means that sometimes Mike is a pain the whole morning. For example, we finally got near the tracks and we could hear a train coming. I was telling all three boys “Hey, here comes the train!” What does Mike do? He stands facing the train but behind a bush where he can’t see it. You know, to punish me by not looking at the train.
The next time it comes around he deigns to stand next to me. But. Facing away from the train. Again, to punish me.
He resents the fact that I make most of the decisions. He thinks his ideal life would be getting an apartment and living on his own. And some days…
But then he just stunned me with the sweetest thing he did, and I shouldn’t be surprised because under his bravado is the nicest little kid ever. Chip was scared on the ride and he was sitting between Mike and Mr. Plain. Mike just reached over and put his hand on Chip’s shoulder and told him it was going to be OK. He left it there for quite a while.
I almost couldn’t breathe. I love Mike so much. (Oh, and from now on we’re going to make a bee-line through the zoo and ride the train first thing.)
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