Tallen (4) is enjoying his school holidays at the moment. Reminds me, must email the school and find out when he's due back, must be next week surely ... anyhoo.
Very luckily for Tallen, his Mummy and Daddy run a small (teeny really) playground company and a day at work with Daddy in the holidays amounts to a day of free play in a school playground. And he's the only kid there.
Problem is, Tallen also loves staying at home with me and his little brother and first thing in the morning, it's friggin' hard to get him to make a decision.
Today is hubbys last day (yay!) on the current job and the end of Tallens holiday but Tallen decided that he was not going with this morning, despite much checking and re-checking with him. Okay, so he can stay in his PJ's for a bit longer and there's no rush to get the porridge on.
But when Hubby gets in the Bakkie with his guys to leave, all hell breaks loose. Tallen's changed his mind but we can't let him go now, Hubby has to get out and start his day and Tallen's not washed, dressed or fed. As the Bakkie drives off, Tallen is standing on the front wall in his bare feet screaming "DADDEEEE!! I CHANGED MY MIND! I WANNA COME!!". Talk about tugging at heart strings.
I get him down from the wall and inside, but he won't be comforted, pushing me away when I try to cuddle him he runs into his bedroom and slams the door. From behind, he sobs as if his little world were ending. Previous experience tells me that if I follow him in, the tantrum will escalate so I allow him his space a little.
There's a small gap at the bottom of his door and after a few minutes of unbearable sobbing sounds, I push a Chappie through it. "NO!!" he screams, "I DON"T WANT SWEETS!". I make him a caramel fudge warm milk (yum) and squeeze that carefully through the gap. Silence. I sit on the floor on the other side of the door and strain my ears, he's sniffing and doing that aftershock noise kids do when they've been crying hard but I also think I can hear slurping. Possibly sweetie unwrapping. And a conversation ensues through the door.
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| Check this Chappie Article |
"Want me to read the Chappie wrapper?" no response, but the wrapper appears through the gap and I read him the three intresting facts about the Sahara desert printed on it.
"Are you okay?"
"Mummy, I changed my mind I wanna go with" I can hear the hysteria coming back to his voice ..
"I know Tallen, but Daddy's gone now. It's sad I understand but we have to cheer up now and enjoy our day at home."
"BUT I WANNA GO WIIIIITH!"
"So what must I do, I don't have a car. I would take you there after breakfast if I did. We're having porridge for breakfast, you hungry?"
"You must call a taxi, I'll go in a taxi" he's calmer now, more sulky sounding.
"I don't have enough money at home for a taxi Tallen, we can't do that"
"I have money in my money box! I wanna GO MUMMY!" he has about R4.75. Taxi would be about R150 I'm guessing.
"Tallen, you don't have enough money I'm sorry but I think we must just try and enjoy our day at home now. Daddy will be home before we know it" More silence.
"Will you come out?"
"I'm still very upset Mummy, don't you understand that?"
"I do my boy, I do. But I hope you come out soon, porridge is cooling down. You'd rather it was just right, like Baby Bears hey? Not too cold, like Mummy Bears"
This is it, thinks I. I've cracked it with the Goldilocks and the Three Bears reference, now he won't be able to resist coming to the table to eat his bear porridge. I stand back and wait, but the door doesn't open.
I 'hmmm' and go back to Nate (2), who's busy plastering the dining room walls with his porridge.
Then I'm hit from behind, as a little chap called Tallen runs and grabs at my legs and I turn and give him that great big cuddle I wanted to give him earlier.
"Okay?"
"Yes Mummy. Where's my porridge?"
"I think your brother plastered the walls with it" and then, as I feel Tallen tense up and begin to stress "only joking, only joking. Sit down I'll get it for you"
"That wasn't a funny joke Mummy. I'm still a bit upset"
"Sorry" (trying not to laugh) "you'll go with Daddy next time hey?"
"Yes. I'm DEFINITELY going with Daddy next time"
** As I write, Nate is sleeping and Tallen is calling me and asking me to help him with his pirate game, all upset forgotten. Must text Hubby and tell him that. He says he needs me to rebuild his ship and draw him a treasure map so I best off, me hearties. Aaaagh Jim Lad!
