Now that school is out, the unnamed child and I have been spending more time together, and I have hired her to help me with my furniture business for the summer. When you are 15, and saving for a car, you take work where you can get it. So far it’s been a success — we haven’t even tried to kill each other once (the summer has just started mind you).
The other day, we were talking about stories of when she was little. There was one night when Topher and I were exhausted from work, and we were all going out to dinner. She was around 5 at the time.
We asked her where she wanted to go eat: “That one place that has that stuff I like” she says.
“What place is that?” we asked
“I don’t know that name, but the place that has the stuff I really like.” Hmmm… We had no idea.
This went back and forth for a little while before she started getting frustrated with us, and vice versa, so we asked her to describe what it looked like. “I don’t know, but it’s the STUFF I REALLY LIKE! Wait, I remember!” she yelled.
Great! what is it?
“Valley Swirl” she said.
Topher and I both looked at each other puzzled. What?
“Valley swirl mama, you know valley swirl!”
Unfortunately, I didn’t know.
She just kept repeating it over and over and with this new frustration, tears started flowing as she kept repeating “Valley swirl. I really like their valley swirl…”
So by now we had driven around playing this guessing game for over thirty minutes, and now we had a soon-to-be-hysterical (and hungry) child begging us to remember what Valley Swirl was.
We decided we had enough, and we were just going to go to Applebees when all of the sudden the child screamed STOP THE CAR!!!!
She pointed to a little Asian restaurant we hadn’t been to in months, and she said that was the place.
Completely confused, we went in and grabbed a menu, and she immediately pointed to a picture of crab rangoon.
“There!” she said in an almost gloating voice, “Valley Swirl!”
How in the world this child confused the terms crab rangoon and valley swirl, we had no idea, but at that point we were all so exhausted and hungry we didn’t care. We did, in fact, order a huge order of valley swirl for all of us.
Now of course, today, this is funny to all of us, but that night it was confusing and frustrating for us all. Ten years later, every time we drive by that little restaurant, we all laugh.
Now I’m just trying to convince myself that in another ten years, I will look back on these days with the child telling us we are the most embarrassing and uncool parents on the planet, and think this is funny.
Hmm… I’ll get back to you in ten years.
Speaking of uncool, this headboard was definitely that.
My client that purchased the red dresser a while back was looking for a new headboard. I had this one in storage (purchased along with this dresser a long time ago), and I was ready to bring it back to life (please disregard the awaiting-to-be-started furniture in the background).
Before:
I painted it with several coats of grey chalkpaint, distressed it, and coated it in a clear wax. The pictures don’t do it justice. The distressing is much more detailed, but I think it looks so much better! I love all of the carving!
After:
Vintage Grey Headboard
So tell me, am I the only one who has had a major miscommunication with my child? Any crazy stories with your kiddos?
Please share with me in the comments below!
Also, please remember to stop by last week’s post for a chance to win a $180 Amazon Gift Card!
I LOVE the headboard! And I’m just impressed that she would eat a crab rangoon in the first place! Just a few days ago I tried to get my 7 year old to eat a cherry, a CHERRY! She wouldn’t and neither would the 4 year old. Ben does confuse anything camo with submarine. So, if you’re wearing camo pants you’re actually wearing submarine pants. I have no idea where he got that from.
Thanks Kari! I will make sure not to wear camo pants around Ben as not to confuse him.
Welcome to the world of teenagers. LOL. We had love/hate relationships day in/day out when our kids were that age. 3 of our 4 kids were teens at the same time. The only thing I can tell you is to let the little things go. I had a “system” I used. If something bugged me and I was thinking about making an issue of it I had this criteria. Is this going to make a difference tomorrow-or in the short run ? No? No problem-no argument. (think crazy hair color) Is this going to hurt anyone-including said child? No? No argument from me. Is this going to have a long term effect on life/future. TAKE ISSUE. This solved a lot of little “tiffs”….like talking in bedroom on the telephone really late when she should be sleeping…..Is her homework done? Is she getting decent grades? Can she get up in the morning? Yeah? Talk away then. It is not worth a fight. Besides that- talking on the phone is SAFE-it sure beats talking to a boy alone in a car about how MEAN her Mom is. You can’t get in much trouble sharing over the phone….as long as it is someone you know and trust her to be talking to. I know- this is getting long and boring, isn’t it? LOL Anyway, we raised 4 good kids that never did drugs or alcohol-still don’t- well, they might have a glass of wine but that’s about it. We didn’t do everything right but we did enough right that we have kids that love us and share their lives and children with us. Hang in there- She will come around and you will go from being the most uncool Mom ever to being her “friend”…but right now she needs an “uncool” Mom to set limits for her-reasonable ones that you can both live with. She will respect you for it- xo Diana
The best stories are those with a child’s perspective, valley swirl, that’s great!! I remember one funny story when my son was young. We took a trip to West Virgina. We were driving around up in the mountains, beautiful scenery, we’d been hiking and swimming and sight seeing, and out of no where my son asks if they have skateboards in Russia???? It was so out of topic, we all laughed hysterically wondering what on earth is going on in that boy’s head!
Love the headboard…just gorgeous!! And how cool that your daughter will be learning your trade, she might just like it!! ~ Amy
I’m always amazed at what a difference a little paint can make. And a few years…….., as for teenagers , I don’t beleive you really start communicating clearly until the child reaches 19 or 20, yes, they do hear you, and they don’t forget, (that’s the good thing), but they think you know very little about today’s issues. So just hang in there. I’m so happy that you are feeling better, I’ve been in your shoes. Don’t try to do everything by yourself, and accept help when offered, these are things that I’ve always struggled with, but after a little humbling I learned. My sisters often say that I should let others get their blessings by accepting their help. Take care,
Jeannie