Memorable Moments:#2

My Nomination for Mother of the Year

I was tired. My throat had been hurting all week. We had spent most of the week indoors at home. Joshua had needed a last minute “emergency” trip to the dentist to check out his tooth again. I knew I needed to see the doctor, but Joshua needed to be seen and taken care of first. As we finished at the dentist I thought maybe my doctor could squeeze me in before closing that Friday evening. We got loaded up and as Joshua got buckled in he threw his recently acquired rubber lizard into the floor. And of course, he started howling for it the second he did it. And kept howling. I explained several times that since he threw it, he would have to wait to get it back. He was asked several times to be quiet and eventually settled down. However, as soon as I picked up the phone to call the doctor he upped the ante. As I was put on hold he continued until I hit my wits end, “STOP IT!” I screamed at him in the loudest, most frustrated voice, can’t take anymore of this voice. Of course, at the same moment the receptionist took me off hold. I stuttered, apologized, and did what every grown mature person would do; I hung up. I found out a few days later that the doctor’s office has Caller ID.

(By the way, this is the only occasion I have ever raised my loving, patient, kind, sweet, motherly voice to my child).