Going against my stifling mom reasoning I replied, "I have an idea. If you sleep in your bed for 5 nights in a row and keep your green card all week at school I'll sign you up to take the bus." Was it wrong of me to think that she would never reach this goal quickly? I mean this kid is like an extra pillow in my bed and truthfully I think we started to get used to her warm little body between us. It would be good leverage to get her to listen to me when she acts out because the "I'm Gonna Call Your Father" line was starting to get pretty old. In a squeal of excitement Noa' shouted back and clapped, "REALLY MOMMY!!! I'M GONNA DO IT WATCH ME! YEAH BABY!!!"
So night one had come and gone and I hadn't gotten any sleep because I kept waking up thinking, she's gonna call me any minute. Night two I woke up dreaming she was screaming my name and fell up the damn steps to get to her only to see her little chest heaving up and down snoring like a bear in hibernation. Once the third night rolled around I flip flopped from TV One to the WE channel up until 3 in the morning a little annoyed that this kid wasn't waking up like she had any other time and now my sleep schedule is all out of wack. Could she really be taking our discussion seriously? I mean who does she think she is? She's my baby, my little 2 pound 5 ounce premature baby who doesn't know any better about how to travel on a school bus. She still rides in a car seat in my car for goodness sake! By the fifth night I offered for her to sleep in our bed since it was the weekend but eventually felt bad about deciphering a plan to use this night against her plight to Serta Freedom. And guess who turned me down? Lesson learned. Not only for her but for Mommy too.
That next morning I drove her to school I waited with clenched teeth for her to remind me that we made a deal and I actually might need to make good on it. On the 8 and 1/2 minute ride she said nothing until we pulled up at the light, right before turning onto her school's street, beside a school bus and I heard her whisper, "Those big kids see me in our car and can tell i'm already a big girl." Just rip my deceitful heart out little gir!l Thanks alot! So when I drove her up towards the drop off point in front of school I pulled into a parking space and said, "well big girl I guess this is it." And she looked at me with the most precious face and smiled and said, "Don't worry Mommy. You can still listen to Steve Harvey in the Morning because we have a radio at home remember." Her reasoning tickled me pink and as we walked into her school together she winked, a new thing she learned, and bid me adieu as she ran to the cafeteria with her huge book bag bouncing up and down on her back screaming "Yeah we're having French Toast sticks! This is a great day!" Smiling I watched my baby make yet another mark in this world and in my heart and I turned to the office to sign her up for the morning pick up schedule on Bus #127.
Noa's been taking the bus and sleeping in her own bed for a week now very proud of her accomplishment. She meets her friends at the bus stop atop the hill in our community as I watch from a distance. I hear her tell our neighbor Autumn, who takes the bus with her, that Walmart has cool Justin Bieber t-shirts and hope that today they'll have chocolate milk for breakfast and I fight back the tears--- of sorrow of course! Maybe one or two tears were of joy. My little girl is growing up, whether I like to admit it or not and I better get ready for it. I have thought about possibly sitting on her head at night to stunt her growth. With all the Bojangle's biscuits i've been eating lately i'm sure i'd be successful at it.
So night one had come and gone and I hadn't gotten any sleep because I kept waking up thinking, she's gonna call me any minute. Night two I woke up dreaming she was screaming my name and fell up the damn steps to get to her only to see her little chest heaving up and down snoring like a bear in hibernation. Once the third night rolled around I flip flopped from TV One to the WE channel up until 3 in the morning a little annoyed that this kid wasn't waking up like she had any other time and now my sleep schedule is all out of wack. Could she really be taking our discussion seriously? I mean who does she think she is? She's my baby, my little 2 pound 5 ounce premature baby who doesn't know any better about how to travel on a school bus. She still rides in a car seat in my car for goodness sake! By the fifth night I offered for her to sleep in our bed since it was the weekend but eventually felt bad about deciphering a plan to use this night against her plight to Serta Freedom. And guess who turned me down? Lesson learned. Not only for her but for Mommy too.
That next morning I drove her to school I waited with clenched teeth for her to remind me that we made a deal and I actually might need to make good on it. On the 8 and 1/2 minute ride she said nothing until we pulled up at the light, right before turning onto her school's street, beside a school bus and I heard her whisper, "Those big kids see me in our car and can tell i'm already a big girl." Just rip my deceitful heart out little gir!l Thanks alot! So when I drove her up towards the drop off point in front of school I pulled into a parking space and said, "well big girl I guess this is it." And she looked at me with the most precious face and smiled and said, "Don't worry Mommy. You can still listen to Steve Harvey in the Morning because we have a radio at home remember." Her reasoning tickled me pink and as we walked into her school together she winked, a new thing she learned, and bid me adieu as she ran to the cafeteria with her huge book bag bouncing up and down on her back screaming "Yeah we're having French Toast sticks! This is a great day!" Smiling I watched my baby make yet another mark in this world and in my heart and I turned to the office to sign her up for the morning pick up schedule on Bus #127.
After months and months of trying to figure out how to get Noa' to sleep in her own bed I finally had a break through! I must say that bartering is an amazing thing and is a great tool to use to get these little buggers to do what you need them to. In the midst of me realizing this sweet treat I also realized that I in turn she had bartered a lesson with me; a lesson in patience and trust, and I couldn't be more grateful.
Noa's been taking the bus and sleeping in her own bed for a week now very proud of her accomplishment. She meets her friends at the bus stop atop the hill in our community as I watch from a distance. I hear her tell our neighbor Autumn, who takes the bus with her, that Walmart has cool Justin Bieber t-shirts and hope that today they'll have chocolate milk for breakfast and I fight back the tears--- of sorrow of course! Maybe one or two tears were of joy. My little girl is growing up, whether I like to admit it or not and I better get ready for it. I have thought about possibly sitting on her head at night to stunt her growth. With all the Bojangle's biscuits i've been eating lately i'm sure i'd be successful at it.
OMG! I actually teared on this one. And I laughed too.
ReplyDeleteOMG -they grow so quickly. I'm sitting at my desk so proud of her and the mother in me empathizes with you. I look forward to your new adventures....
ReplyDeleteGREAT WORK!
Love this story and although it makes me smile, it reminds me that I'm not so far from these moments and it scares the crap out of me! You are an inspiration as always!
ReplyDelete-Katina
Great post! We just went through this same thing recently. Well my wife did. I was all for letting our boy grow up and ride the bus. But she shared the same feelings as you did. Glad that you and your daughter were able to overcome something throughout this experience.
ReplyDelete