She's a Saint....for a price
Since you wanted to know, yes, Colton's bus morning was better this morning. Still horrific, but better.
We brought Sir Lion down to the bus today to go to school. By the way, sometimes this lion is his dad, sometimes his son, sometimes his wife, sometimes his pet. I don't understand it but I do know that I'm always wrong so I just give up and call the thing Sir Lion.
We are waiting in line for the bus (why the crap are you ALWAYS late, bus???? You only make it worse!) and then he starts crying. Sobbing. Hysterically. I remind him all the ways he is going to be okay. That he has his lion to help him be brave. That the bus driver is really nice and that yesterday it was totally fine. I ask him if he wants me to bring him back up on the bus again. Through his tears and unintelligible babbling, he asks if Gabriela Catalina can sit with him on the bus. She looks horrified.
It's not that she doesn't love her brother- she does. Its that she loves him SO much, that she cannot stand to see him cry. Like, literally, if Colton is getting in trouble for something and I am sternly talking to him and he starts to cry, she will come stand in front of him and say, "Mommy. Whatever Colton did, I will fix it. Please don't make him cry." It's a noble thing. Then after I tell her that I appreciate her sibling support but that he still gets a consequence (you know- like a stuffed animal sits in time out or something ridiculous)- she also cries. Their hearts are connected. What can you do.
So she is horrified that she is going to have to endure his pain. "Mommy. Excuse me. I do not think it is fair that I have to sit with him while he is crying. I don't want to sit there." Its a fair point.
"Gabriela Catalina. Please. He needs you. Please sit with your brother." The kids are staring. Probably wondering why I don't just TELL her to do it- but I can't- its not fair to her. I don't want to sit next to the screaming kid. Her eyes fill up with tears. "Mommy. Please don't make me. I really, really don't want to. I can't handle it."
The bus is coming and I don't know what to do.
"Gabriela Catalina. I will pay you a dollar for every bus ride you sit with him. Please. Please sit with your brother. Please...."
She wipes her tears. "I'll do it for a dollar. But I also sat with him Monday afternoon and yesterday afternoon. So you owe me $2 so far, plus $1 for this morning." Damnit. "I'll take it. Thank you." Four letter word bomb she's good.
We get on the bus, find a seat. He goes through the motions. Sitting down like he should. Still sobbing like a lunatic. I start to tell him I'm going to go. He starts screaming. SCREAMING. For me not to go. She looks at me and starts shaking her head and moving to the back of the bus. Omg, where is she going?!?!?! "Mommy. I can't. I'm sorry. I can't do it."
The kids are piling on the bus and the line is getting shorter and he is screaming his head off.
"Gabriela Catalina, please. PLEASE. I'm literally begging you. I told you I would pay you. Please- he needs you."
She continues to back away, crying. Her little face melting. "Mommy. Its not worth the dollar. I don't want the dollar. Please don't make me."
"I WILL PAY YOU FIVE DOLLARS!!!!" I yell. I'm desperate. The kids go a little silent- looking at her in awe. Afterall, she IS about to make $5 for five minutes of....sitting.
She quickly wipes her tears and stands tall. "I would LOVE to sit next to Colton." Yeah. Yeah I bet you would.
And I left, and he didn't need to be peeled from my being.
I'm fairly confident my daughter will get WHATEVER she wants in life. Dang it, your sad face and quivering chin and beautiful big brown eyes. You win every time.
We brought Sir Lion down to the bus today to go to school. By the way, sometimes this lion is his dad, sometimes his son, sometimes his wife, sometimes his pet. I don't understand it but I do know that I'm always wrong so I just give up and call the thing Sir Lion.
We are waiting in line for the bus (why the crap are you ALWAYS late, bus???? You only make it worse!) and then he starts crying. Sobbing. Hysterically. I remind him all the ways he is going to be okay. That he has his lion to help him be brave. That the bus driver is really nice and that yesterday it was totally fine. I ask him if he wants me to bring him back up on the bus again. Through his tears and unintelligible babbling, he asks if Gabriela Catalina can sit with him on the bus. She looks horrified.
It's not that she doesn't love her brother- she does. Its that she loves him SO much, that she cannot stand to see him cry. Like, literally, if Colton is getting in trouble for something and I am sternly talking to him and he starts to cry, she will come stand in front of him and say, "Mommy. Whatever Colton did, I will fix it. Please don't make him cry." It's a noble thing. Then after I tell her that I appreciate her sibling support but that he still gets a consequence (you know- like a stuffed animal sits in time out or something ridiculous)- she also cries. Their hearts are connected. What can you do.
So she is horrified that she is going to have to endure his pain. "Mommy. Excuse me. I do not think it is fair that I have to sit with him while he is crying. I don't want to sit there." Its a fair point.
"Gabriela Catalina. Please. He needs you. Please sit with your brother." The kids are staring. Probably wondering why I don't just TELL her to do it- but I can't- its not fair to her. I don't want to sit next to the screaming kid. Her eyes fill up with tears. "Mommy. Please don't make me. I really, really don't want to. I can't handle it."
The bus is coming and I don't know what to do.
"Gabriela Catalina. I will pay you a dollar for every bus ride you sit with him. Please. Please sit with your brother. Please...."
She wipes her tears. "I'll do it for a dollar. But I also sat with him Monday afternoon and yesterday afternoon. So you owe me $2 so far, plus $1 for this morning." Damnit. "I'll take it. Thank you." Four letter word bomb she's good.
We get on the bus, find a seat. He goes through the motions. Sitting down like he should. Still sobbing like a lunatic. I start to tell him I'm going to go. He starts screaming. SCREAMING. For me not to go. She looks at me and starts shaking her head and moving to the back of the bus. Omg, where is she going?!?!?! "Mommy. I can't. I'm sorry. I can't do it."
The kids are piling on the bus and the line is getting shorter and he is screaming his head off.
"Gabriela Catalina, please. PLEASE. I'm literally begging you. I told you I would pay you. Please- he needs you."
She continues to back away, crying. Her little face melting. "Mommy. Its not worth the dollar. I don't want the dollar. Please don't make me."
"I WILL PAY YOU FIVE DOLLARS!!!!" I yell. I'm desperate. The kids go a little silent- looking at her in awe. Afterall, she IS about to make $5 for five minutes of....sitting.
She quickly wipes her tears and stands tall. "I would LOVE to sit next to Colton." Yeah. Yeah I bet you would.
And I left, and he didn't need to be peeled from my being.
I'm fairly confident my daughter will get WHATEVER she wants in life. Dang it, your sad face and quivering chin and beautiful big brown eyes. You win every time.
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