Sometimes I Suffer to Make a Point

Today we were supposed to be bringing Super Nanny over to the Berkeley Kite Festival for her monthly Au Pair cluster meeting. For the most part, we don't like going to these things, Nanny is bored and seemingly doesn't really want to get to know the other Au Pairs, T-Boogie's schedule is always thrown off because the meetings aren't timed with her naps in mind, and P-Dely and I fight because he's always wanting to get into the shower 5 minutes before we need to be out the door, and I HATE being late to everything just because he can't get his shit together.

But Boogie really likes watching kites, so I was thinking she'd enjoy our required outing today. I woke her up early so she'd be able to get a nap in before we had to leave, and I checked out the food options there so we'd be able to grab some lunch that she could share with us while we watched. But like clockwork at 10:20 P says he's getting in the shower.

And I snapped.

I was all ready to go, my bag was packed with a banana to feed Boogie on the way, all I needed to do was get her up, change her diaper and clothes, and put her in the car. Nanny doesn't have issues like him with getting ready, so I knew at precisely 10:30 she'd be downstairs waiting for us.

I didn't flash on him like I normally do. Yelling doesn't do anything but make him regress, and I didn't want to deal with another child. I told him he didn't have time for a shower, and he had a minor hissy, then went and changed his undershirt and sat back down at the computer without brushing his teeth. I calmly washed my hands, walked over to him, pointed to the directions I had printed out and told him he needed to get Nanny there by 11.

Then I sat on the bed, turned on the monitor, opened up a book and started reading. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him staring at me, mouth hanging slightly open and a look of shocked disbelief on his face. I don't know if he was waiting for me to start ranting like I normally do, but right now, I'm sick of the same old shit happening. We're locked in this crazy dance that makes us both miserable, and as much as I was dying to take Boogie there, I knew I wouldn't enjoy myself with him being in a pissed-off mood, and I don't want Boogie being around us like that.

So. Now I have to find something else for us to do today. I'm thinking of taking her over to the water park in Terra Linda for a while, so she can splash around and play with the other kids, maybe stopping at Sonoma Taco so we can share a burrito for lunch (this kid LOVES her some chicken burritos). I'm bummed my plans didn't work out, but hopefully P will realize, soon, that I'm not going to cater to his childish actions and tantrums. Because in the past I would have bitched and moaned and we would have gone, and neither of us would have had fun. I'd rather change my plans and enjoy myself than that craziness we used to do.