Monday, December 18, 2006

The Log In My Eye

We are now staying in Kuta (where we started), Canggu did not live up to our hopes. Though beautiful and rural, we were looking for more of a community and will keep up the search for a house. Until we find one, it's hotels for us. On our return we found a hotel for $25/night with two pools, two beds, very clean, a/c, American cable, and a fridge in the room, quite a find.

Let it be known, the typical traveller here is single or coupled with no children. They are generally nice to kids, but not as accepting as the Balinese. The sort of people who might be imagined saying "THAT's why I don't/I'm not having kids". Can you guess where my story is going?

My kids are usually well-behaved, but put two little boys on a completely opposite sleeping schedule and take them out of ALL familiar environs and you will get some - ahem - bumps in the road. They might be waking up anywhere from 2-4am. They might not be easy to contain in a hotel room until the sun comes up at 6am. Their mom might have taken them out on the balcony one morning at 6 just to give them a change of scene (admittedly not one of my wiser or quieter moves, we QUICKLY moved inside). Hence, a few dirty looks in the halls and at breakfast. But still general acceptance.

Yesterday I happened to have some of the afternoon with the boys while Charlie was busy with business. They awoke from their naps and we still had an hour before Daddy got home and I thought, "Hey! I'm a fun mom! Let's go swimming!" So I got everyone sunscreened and changed and we made our way to the pool. We were greeted by multiple sunbathers and a few swimmers. Everything went smashingly for about 20 minutes until Thomas decided he wanted to run back and forth to the faucet to rinse off his feet. again. and again. and again. Charles, of course, wanted to swim.

"Hey! I'm a fun mom!" I allow T to rinse his feet as much as he wants while keeping an eye on C in the wading pool. Then I look smilingly around and realize that I am apparantly NOT making the wise mommy choice. I should be closer to C. I shouldn't let the baby do whatever he wants. I should be more firm. I should make them listen. C is obviously a step from drowning. T is wetting that man's fip-flop.

I try to be diplomatic. I ask C to please get out of the pool so we can go. He quietly refuses and I choose to avoid a fit. Wrong choice. In choosing to stay longer I have unwittingly decided the fit will come from T - a less conservative "fit-thrower". At some point Thomas has to be stopped and when I do stop him he throws his head back and howls. I then have to heard a howling Charles from the pool whilst smiling bravely. I am now carrying two 30-lb boys in my swimsuit with a sarong and two pool floats out of the pool area. Howls are echoing behind me. People are smirking. "That's why I don't/I'm not having children".

I left the pool thinking, "we cannot go out of our room again EVER, I am NEVER doing this by myself again. I will NOT be seen at breakfast.."

Today was a new day and Charlie took Charles to work with him. Just Thomas and I made our way to the pool hesitantly once more and I was much more successful at teaching him what he could and could not do with minimal whining. We received genuine smiles from all and his little "hi" as we walked by others was the perfect peacemaker.

Needless to say, I will NOT be judging other mamas anytime soon. Let your children throw a fit, smoke in the closet, eat multiple bags of candy throughout the grocery store, I will give you the benefit of the doubt. I will just assume that you are dealing with your own jet lagged kids and let you figure it out.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just another chapter in the book of your life. You made a great word picture. I could almost hear Thomas. Good lessons and, well, I got up this morning and there's ice in the bird bath and frost on the ground. We won't be swimming or even running through the sprinklers any time soon, and there you all are swimming. Lucky you guys. I'll be praying for a house to stay in and get comfortable with the boys.

Aunt Marge said...

Sounds like you are having a great time. Even here in Phx it is cold.
So cold we decided to skip golf tomorrow and you know how I hate to do that. I'll try to be better about this.
Love to all!

Anonymous said...

I felt so much better about my beach experience with the boys and Laura when Charlie told me about how he lets them run around naked right before sunset at the ocean. I will hold that image in my head as long as I can - shameless parenting. I now will also have your words, "Hey, I'm a fun mom!" and the ensuing adventure burned into my mind as I make my running-around-naked-at-sunset decisions (the kids - not me!) Oy vay, Christy, God bless you!! Love, Audrey

christy said...

christy--let me just say that i am super impressed with what you are doing, tantrums or not. it's not easy to have two little (very active) boys in a hotel for any length of time, in my opinion. hotels are just not set up for noisy, excited, tired, happy, or crying children. you are doing such a great job keeping them occupied in an unfamiliar place....and hey! what a fun mom you are! :) christy estoll

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