Shannon Yee

When I signed in at Jungle Java I signed a waiver as Eila’s parent/guardian and didn’t really think much of it. After lots of fun playing and a little eating, I took Josiah to use the toilet and while we were washing our hands one of the other little girls with us came to tell me that Eila needed me. So, we quickly returned to the table where our stuff was and I found Eila sobbing hysterically.
In the few minutes I was gone, she had been dancing and singing near some other girls who apparently didn’t like it and started pushing, punching and scratching her. Another mom saw it and stop it as they were getting ready to kick her. As I write these words I feel so angry and sad and helpless. I want so badly to protect my kids from any kind of harm or evil and I can’t really do that at all.
Eila calmed down (not terribly physically hurt) and the girls apologized; she forgave them and went back to playing. I am still at a loss for how to respond and help Eila respond in the future. But I am very certain that guardian is not the right term for me (today, at least).

I had a lapse of good parenting judgement today. Josiah has suddenly decided that he’d like to wear undies instead of diapers and is doing so. When we were playing outside and he needed to take care of business, I let him just go in the grass rather than taking him inside. Unfortunately, Eila thought that seemed like a great idea and before I knew it she was joining him and then there were two naked kids running around the yard. They quickly got on their bikes and escaped to the front yard streaking down the sidewalk. Our neighbors found them very amusing along with my attempts to corral two very naked kids back home.

This is what Eila yelled to me a few minutes ago as she was watching Care Bears in the basement. I came up to figure out what to make for dinner and didn’t get very far when I heard her crying and hollering for help.

Since this is very uncharacteristic during TV time, I quickly checked on her to see that Professor Coldheart was up to no good and Eila was cowering, but unable to turn her eyes and look away from the screen. “Turn it off!” she demanded desperately so I obliged.

This was the second DVD I put in for her as the Disney Princess Party cartoon was far too frightening and it was just the first song. Needless to say, Eila is a little bit scared of many things right now including but not limited to cartoons (and wind – especially thunderstorms, but who can blame her after we were picnicking with several friends during a storm a few weeks ago where she went completely nuts with fear.)

After about a month of constant help, I ventured into the world with all three kids and it is a lot like adjusting to two kids for me. The hard part is not having a new baby, but the same other kids who have a slightly more tired mom with a little less patience and reasonable, logical thinking. A continuation of pregnancy sort of, except that I’m more comfortable physically and can take the baby out if desired…