Yesterday was Callie’s birthday.

With the missing $382, things were a little more tight than I wanted. But I promised her a haircut (she hadn’t gotten one in 7 years because no one would take her), eyebrow waxing and a manicure plus an outifit to wear to the theater.

On Friday we went to the store. And then another store and then back to the same store. Callie couldn’t figure out what she wanted and she didn’t like the way things looked on her. Meanwhile, Bug was grabbing things off the shelf and having a fit because she couldn’t get a new outfit. Izzy was in the dressing room trying on things and when I said, “Well, it looks nice but I’m not buying everyone new outfits” she said, “Ok, you can just buy me the shirt then.”

After that, I took the kids to the goodwill. That is one of their favorite places to go because they are good at finding the good stuff and I’m much more likely to buy jeans for 3 or 4 dollars than fifty or sixty. I know some people are anti-thrift shop, but my kids love it. And if you look hard enough, you can find some really nice stuff.

That trip went ok, but then the next day, I decided we would go do haircuts, Callie’s manicure, and then go to the pool. I dressed the little kids in swim diapers and put clothes on over their swimsuits.

Getting the haircuts was a disaster. Snowbaby and Bubba would not calm down, Bug got chastized for hair cleanliness (again), Izzy threw a fit, and Callie sat and complained that other people got haircuts and that only she should get them.

$80 later, I sent Callie to get her nails done while we went into the store. I noticed that Snowbaby and Bubba had gotten themselves soaked through the swim diapers. Of course, I had no change of clothes. When I told Bubba he should have gone to the potty, he pulled the slip I was buying over to him and SAT ON IT. So now my new slip was covered in pee. Bug wanted nail polish and Snowbaby was screeching and neither Bubba nor Snowbaby would walk. I had to carry their pee covered bodies back to the nail place. Where Callie hadn’t even got started yet. Frustrated, I went to wait in the van with the little kids and then Callie got in the car and immediately started complaining about the nail place.

Finally I said, “Listen. I don’t mind buying you guys things or taking you places. I like doing it. But there are five kids in this family. And I don’t have a money tree. Not everyone is going to get everything they want. That is why you have an allowance. I am spending a ton of money this weekend to make sure you all look nice and have nice outfits to wear to the theatre. The tickets to the theatre were very expensive. It will cost another $100 bucks for us to drive up there and park.

I can not put up with constant whining, complaining and no manners. I don’t care if you are grateful or not, but you will at least say thank you. And you will stop whining. Is that understood?”

Nobody said anything.

“Is that understood?”

“Me mom?” said Bubba.

“All of you. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Ma’am” said Bug.

“Ok” said Snowbaby and Bubba.

The older girls didn’t say anything.

I was pissed.

I had calmed down by yesterday morning. I think I got so frustrated because I don’t have a ton of extra money and I was trying to do something really nice and nobody seemed to give a damn. But by Sunday, they were all very excited to go to the show. (I don’t think my dad was excited though, because he had an all day stretch with Bubba and Snowbaby. And Snowbaby is going through a “I need to be physically attached to Momma at all time, or I scream” phase.)

The girls looked pretty in their dresses and actually, I looked pretty damn good myself. Geo was in a surprisingly good mood and we made good time to the theatre. Callie had a sobbing fit once we got there, but that was almost textbook. She was celebrating an important birthday without her family. She was sad. But once she got calmed down and the show started, everyone was very happy. The show was really good. I’ve seen it before and I liked the previous cast better, but the girls were enthralled.

In the opening scene, Callie leaned over and whispered, “Is that lady REALLY singing?” and when I told her she was, she just grinned.

Bug said, “Well, I’ve seen a lot of theatre so I know what is good.” (She’s seen four shows.) “I liked it better than Cats, but I don’t know which was better. Wicked or this. I don’t know. I’ll get back to you.”

All in all, it turned out to be a really good trip. And when I returned home, Callie handed me a note which read:

Momma Baggage (Tell Geo thanx too for me!),

I just wanted to properly thank you! Thank you so much for doing what you have for me! I am extremely grateful even if sometimes it doesn’t seem that way but I truly am! I thought it would be easier for me to write down what I wanted to say. Thank you soooooo much for the greatest 16th birthday a girl could ask for. Sorry if I complain too much, but I AM grateful.

Love always,

Callie

This entry was posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 10:58 am and is filed under Uncategorized, Parenting, Holidays, Callie. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.