fits and fishing

just keeping it real...

we finally had two meltdowns. it took 21 days of being home. i haven't gotten to the bottom of exactly what happened, but we had two separate sobbing fits. it's normal and i expected it, but it breaks my heart to see my child in pain and not be able to help. once language comes in, perhaps it will be easier...maybe it will be harder.

i am just thankful that when she cries, someone who loves her is standing right there. she is no longer alone in her anguish.

we made it through our first meltdowns. we can make it through many more. that i do know.

the afternoon went better. we had a nice playdate and the children found our fishing poles. i don't fish...but i managed to repair all three broken lines. go momma!

they look peaceful, don't they? fishing is peaceful, right?

NOT!

ever try teaching a child to fish? how about one that doesn't speak the same language as you? this is how it went. i mimed how to do it properly. then frantically yelled, "WAIT!WAIT!WAIT!" as i ran for cover. far out of reach of flying hooks.

then it was their turn...

imagine wildly swinging fishing poles slicing through the air, teeter tottering children standing inches from water, uninhibited joy, crazed laughter, hooks in trees, hooks in clothes, hooks in bushes, hooks stuck on rocks at the bottom of the pond, and hooks stuck in the grass 40 feet from where the child is standing with the pole still in their unskilled hands.

within seconds of my gaining safe ground, they would call out, "mommy!" and i would have to save their hook from whatever had attacked it. again i would scream, "WAIT!WAIT!WAIT!" as i scurried to safety. their fishing looked more like frenzied tennis than graceful casting.

what form...take notes everyone, heehee

i never knew if canada geese were brave or stupid when they have stood up to my children. after basha's casts i have my answer...they are stupid. those geese narrowly missed being caught. although if one had been, i know a boy, named gabe, that would love to keep one as a pet.

notice the new hole near the bottom of basha's shirt. gee...how did that happen? hmmm...more importantly, did she do it to herself or was she too close to another child while they were casting???

she is pointing like a batter does when he intends to hit a home run.  no, don't aim for the log! i'm not breaking out the canoe today too.

i smartened up and decided to attempt retrieval of the practice lure(hookless) from the tree it has been in since daddy got it stuck last year. basha helped me problem solve. it was just out of our reach when i grabbed a branch and pulled the limb it was attached to closer to us. she grabbed my hand and ran towards the house, dragging me behind. she got the kitchen broom and handed it to me. i told her we needed a hook. we found one with a screw on it in our mudroom(we use them to hang lawn chairs and other outdoor things). we screwed it into the end of the wooden broom handle. then we ran pell mell back down to the water. (i'm too old for this!) E helped us hook the tree and pull the practice lure close. A grabbed ahold of the branch while i broke off the twig it was wrapped around. success! the four of us had a successful mission and not one took a swim. impressive.

basha high-fived me exuberantly. she was stoked we had problem solved together. smart. smart. smart. that she is. don't tell her something can't be done.

so at least one child was relatively safe while "fishing"...

until i heard a loud splash. no, she didn't fall in, she threw the rod in. i held my breath while she picked it out of the water. OK that's enough excitement for today...time for dinner girls. shianna asked, "ming tien?" "tomorrow?" 

ugh! we have to do this again? my heart can't take it. fishing peaceful? try heart pounding!

i know what my prayers will include tonight...Lord, please let someone break into our shed and steal all the fishing poles before tomorrow, please?