Contradictory.

Setting aside the rigid nap/bedtime/waketime schedule that our children are on, I generally just go with the flow. When it comes time for date night (which is tonight...yeah I picked HuHot!) or girls night out, I'm not really that picky and I'm up for whatever. When it comes to renting, watching, or going to movies...I'm game for whatever sounds exciting to the ones I'm with. (Except R movies, I WILL NOT watch them. It doesn't matter if the movie is about the Civil War, if it's R...it screams blood and guts and I can educate myself about the Civil War with a book without the blood and guts)

With exception to they way to scrap a page (Melanie, you know what I mean), or craft an object, sew a table runner, bib, and shirt, the way to load the dishwasher, sort, wash, hang, dry and put away clothes...I generally fly by the seat of my pants. I really consider myself a pretty laid back kind-of-gal.

So I don't know whyyyyyyyy our oldest daughter must always do this while we build block castles together:

Julia: "Momma, would you build with me?"

Me: "Sure honey." (I scoot over to her and start building a base for Cinderella's castle.)

Julia: "Wait, mommy...let's put that over here." (She takes my first 2 pieces and places them the way she likes.)

Me: "Ok, that looks great." (I grab a piece to top her started pieces.)



Julia: "Oh, Mom. That one doesn't go there." (She takes my placed piece off-AGAIN-and sets it aside.)




Me: (I say nothing, figuring she's got it taken care of, so I scoot over to Hazel, roll on my back and toss her in the air.)



Julia: "Mom? I thought you were going to build with me? Can you come back over here?"



Me: "I was building with you, I just wanted to play with Hazel for a minute." (Hazel and I scoot back over to continue building. I grab a handful of blocks and start building again.)





The rest of the building "together" sounded something like this:

Julia (sincerely says):
"Just a minute..."
"How 'bout we do this instead..."
"I think we should take that one and put it here..."
"No, not there..."




At one point I really laughed out loud. She looked at me like..."what?"


I mean, what's the need for making block building such a set in stone, 1-way-to-do-it type of activity? ...And, really, why must all the children's outfits be hung to dry? My, she hasn't fallen far from the tree.