Monday, July 11, 2011

O.C.D. and Then Some

Two snippets from my day, which could (and sometimes do) happen every day:

~~~

We left for town this morning just as a big storm was coming our way.  I was praying it would hit us, and hit us good, because my garden is gonna die otherwise.  We're really hurtin' for rain around here.  It was so wet for so long, and now it's been nothing but dry dry dry and that just doesn't work for the growing things.  I simply have not been able to grow anything from seed. Even my zucchini didn't come up! What's summer without zucchini?!?

Anyway, I was praying for the rain to hit us solidly and not skirt us like it very often does.  And Jonah... was freaking out.  Just like he always does.  Every time it storms, we have to listen to him worry incessantly about what the storm might bring.  Sometimes he dissolves into outright panic.  He can usually keep it under control, with lots (lots!) of talking about it, watching the radar, etc.  But it gets tiring, especially since I, myself, am one who barely pays attention to weather forecasts beyond the basics, rain, sun, hot, cold, etc.

So here's how it usually goes:

"Is there a storm coming?"
"How bad is it going to be?"
"Are we in the bad part?"
"Will there be wind?"
"Will any trees come down?"
"Will any houses come down?"
"Will any power lines come down?
"Will there be hail?"
"Will there be lightening?"
"Is there a tornado?"
"Are we in the bad part?"
"How long will it be?"
"Is it past us yet?"
"Can we check the radar?"
"Is there a tornado watch?"
"How bad is it gonna be?"

IT'S GONNA BE PRETTY DARNED BAD WHEN YOUR MAMA'S IN THE LOONEY BIN, LEMME TELL YA, PAL!


Lather, rinse, repeat, constantly, ad nauseum, world without end, for as long as the storm continues.

And that's what I listened to while driving through torrential rain all the way to town.

~~~


Evan loves bananas.

Evan is obsessed with bananas.

Evan lives for bananas, dreams of bananas, and generally goes ape for bananas.

He loves them so much he eats the peal if given half a chance.

Today at the local garden and produce store, there was a table full of over-ripe bananas, placed conveniently near the checkout.  You can be sure that this was not lost on Evan.  He doesn't miss a thing.

I was concentrating on paying for my vegetables and a flower splurge, and he was manically pointing and reaching and "please please pleasing" all over the place. As my Dad would say, he just came unglued. He says "please", though it sounds something like "geeth", except with a slobbery tongue-roll at the end, and seems to think it's the magic key to getting all his desires.  And boy, was he saying it!  He was also trying to climb, jump, leap, fly out of his seat in the cart to get over there and get. a. banana.  NOW.  Need a banana!  Want a banana!  They're over there, Mom!  BANANA!  PLEEEEASE!  The cashier laughed and said, "Just give him a banana, I'm trying to get rid of them anyway."  So he got his banana.  And he made it disappear within minutes.

Fast forward to the grocery store.

Just before checking out (I've learned, see?)  I went to the produce section and got a watermelon and... a bunch of green bananas.  Before we even reached the banana display, Evan had them in his sights and began repeating the scene from earlier.  I think his head was just gonna explode.  BANANAS!  More! Bananas!  There they are!  And when I put some in the cart?  He couldn't stand it any more.  He was turning around in the seat, trying so hard to climb down into the card and get. those. bananas!  He continued this routine, with me holding him bodily in his seat, all the way to the checkout.  Then he determinedly tried his hardest to climb out onto the conveyor belt because the! bananas!  They're getting away!  Neeeeed bananas!  And then they were in a bag!  And he couldn't see them any more!  PANIC! 

~~~

Obsession.  It makes my hamster wheel go round.

2 comments:

  1. I could have quoted the same storm sentences from my Hannah! She is terrified of storms and goes through many of the same questions over and over....kids...aren't they something? Hope all is well with you.....Lisa

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  2. Bananas! Sort of like the dog treat commercial "Bacon!"

    You're a good mama on that hamster wheel.

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