Those Days

My boy is a lad of routine. He likes order, repetition and a sense of what to expect next. I know this isn't too unusual for most children his age, all children like to have a certain rhythm to their day. So,  you would think that a sense of compassion and understanding in a chaotic situation like moving, that completely throws my wee one for a loop, would have come more naturally to me.

Instead I found myself tanding by the wayside observing an almost rabid toddler flinging himself on the floor, punding his fists in the ground, yelling "no mama, no mama" just because he didn't like that I was moving his blanket from the couch to the chair. Is it embarrassing to say this happened more than once?

Oh yes, last week was full of "those days." You know the ones I am talking about, the ones where you are certain you are are the worst parent on the planet and your child will be ruined for life. Fortunately, after taking a moment, I realized that this isn't about me, oh no, it's about the loss of routine. The loss of the familiar and the head to head combat that occurs when the demand for flxibility overrides all other basic needs. I mean, the kid just wanted his stuff back where it belonged, in his home.

Unfortunately, we still have about three weeks of transition to deal with and instead of freaking out (which I have done several times) I decided to let those emtions flow, accept them and move on with a smile. I can't change the situation we are in, but I can be a model for how to deal with it. And, like most situations clarity is often found for me in the outdoors.

At the break of dawn -literally-(it had been a LONG night of NOT sleeping) I deftly strapped my wee one in the car, grabbed the attention of the nearest neighbor (in her bathrobe taking her dog out) and requested directions to the nearest park.

Two minutes later we were laughing and taking in the soft morning sunshine. Greeted by a flock of geese we dove in to the general sense of play that is so familiar to our "normal" days. We tossed rocks, we searched for bugs and ran and ran and ran until we had to sit down and have a snack.

I can't say that every day has been a bowl of peaches and cream ever since, but at least I know that we can find some semblance of rhythm and routine in our days. That we can live each day with a little more joy knowing that it will be merely minutes before our family is reunited and we are back in the comforts of our (new) home.