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| Family wall of shame - Hawaiian prints seemed like a good idea at the time. |
Do you see what's missing? The empty space above Ball's picture is for another hand print. At my kid's preschool, when the child turns 5 she gives Mom her handprint for Mother's Day. The nail above Ball's picture has been waiting for two years for her addition.
I was looking forward to Mother's Day so I could finally complete my set. I love complete matching sets. Then, for Mother's Day Molly presented me with this.
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| Do you see a problem? |
Maybe this will better illustrate my "problem":
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| One of these things is not like the other things. One of these things does not belong. |
In one day I passed through the 5 stages of grief with regards to my wall decor. Before you walk away and start hunting for Hello Kitty items on the innerwebs, allow me to ellaborate.
Step 1 Denial and Isolation: In my head I closed my eyes, plugged my ears, and started singing "la la la la la la la". Why yes, there is an indignant little 3 year old inside me. How else do you relate to your children?
Outwardly I continously gushed over how much I love my gift. This might not sound sincere to a 35 year old, but I'm working with a less sophisticated audience. (See? I can pretend to be a good mom.)
Step 2 Anger: Why God Why!?! This school has been making the same handprints for at least the last 5 years. Why did things change this year? I was so close to having my complete matching set! *Shakes angry fist at the sky*
Step 3 Bargaining: I can find a store who does handprints like the other two and take Ball there. Who am I kidding? That's as likely as me actually paying our bills on time instead of blogging. Maybe I can spray paint the handprint white and then it won't stand out quite so much.
Step 4 Depression: I'll never do that - any of it. I suck and this blows. When I finally get over myself I should at least lower the nail so the oddball handprint can sit level with the other two.
Step 5 Acceptance: This is symbolism that visually demonstrates how unique and special little Ball is. Her hand is so small and precious. I know this is something I
And that folks is how I made it through my totally first world, very insignificant, almost not worth mentioning except that it makes great blog fodder Mother's Day crisis.
What kind of minor crisis have you been through that upset you more than it should?
I'm totally with you on this! That would have gotten the old eyeball a'twitchin for sure!
ReplyDeleteTwitchin' eyeballs is never a good thing. In this house they usually mean mommy didn't get enough sleep and everyone needs to back away.
DeleteOMG and OCD over here! None of us has time for all the minor crisis that have caused me to shake my fist at the heavens. Don't get me started, we'll be here for days. You'll probably hate me for this, but I think the third one is kinda cool. No - I totally get where you're coming from. Is it because I am a third child? Look at it this way - from the perspective of a third child - the third child is always looking for attention; to stand out from the crowd. And by the time the third child gets around to things, it almost always changes. So it's a Mother's Day Metaphor!
ReplyDeleteI like your third child perspective. I keep going back and forth between keeping this or making a new one. The lazy part of me definite prefers the "keeping this handprint" scenario!
DeleteI feel you on the "I'll never do any of this, I suck and this blows" - I didn't do Maddie's birth record footprint (a kit provided by the hospital) until she was 8 months old. Now future generations will think she was GIGANTIC.
ReplyDeleteHere's what I would plan to do, because the nonmatchiness would drive me nuts: Add a nail at the right height, but leave the higher one because I don't want to use the spackle. Tie a ribbon to the top nail, so it looks like the other 2. Paint Ball's handprint with matte white paint.
What I would actually do: nothing.
I feel guilty because I am annoyed by this precious gift.
DeleteI will feel guilty if I modify the gift because it wasn't exactly what I wanted.
Two more reasons I suck and this blows.
Since writing this I am finding out that I am one of the few moms from school who actually hung them up in the house so I think I should win some "good mom" points for that.
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ReplyDeleteThat's so funny. I know the feeling. But since our kids' works of art are never perfect, neither is this. ANd I think illustrating the imperfection of it all makes it perfect in and of itself. Hang it on the wall and enjoy it. It is a symbol of the beauty of the imperfections of our children. And, BTW, it is still a really nice Mother's Day gift! What a cute little hand!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steph. You help put things in perspective. If I put a bow on it, it will match better AND I won't need to move the nail. Win! Win!
DeleteI am a bit of a control freak so I know that I would have been searching for plaster pronto. As I was reading the post, I felt your pain (lol). Either way it goes, it will always make a great conversation starter! What a great find on my TGIF Blog Hop! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm a control freak "Hulk" style. I stay mild mannered and calm and then all of a sudden I blow up, spew my perfectionism all over everything and then go back to being mild mannered Marian for a few more months.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!