My brain’s moving slow today. Okay, so it moves slow everyday. I am blonde AND Polish. What do you expect? Anyhoo, as usual I’m on the ‘puter while Marigrace naps. After only ten minutes of sleep I heard her start crying on the baby monitor. Initially I ignored her hoping she would fall back asleep but she didn’t after a few minutes so I went and checked on her. She was sound asleep. Odd. I figured she must have just cried out in her sleep. A few minutes later the crying started again. Once again I checked on her and she was sound asleep but there was still crying on the monitor when I came back in the kitchen. Am I going crazy? It dawned on me that I was picking up someone else’s kid. I know this happens but I’ve only had it happen to me one other time.
This kid has been crying off and on for 45 minutes and yes I’m totally eavesdropping. Obviously this kid’s mommy wants her to take a nap and the kid wants no part of it. She has cried, screamed, and rocks her bed against the wall. Mommy comes in every 10 minutes and talks way nicer than I would if my kid was playing this game with me. I can’t understand everything mommy is saying but I cracked up when I heard her say “I’ll be right back”. I’ve used that trick too. It sucks when it stops working. After a few minutes the kid figured out that mommy isn’t coming right back and started screaming again. Mommy went back in, still talking nice and I heard her mention a train which she turned on. Mommy leaves and the kids goes back to screaming. Several minutes later she’s back in with a banana and uses the “I’ll be right back” excuse again. The kid ate the banana then resorted back to screaming. This mommy has been back in that room at least five times already. My God I can’t take it anymore! Mommy needs to either let her cry it out or pick her up and try again later because she lost this battle. She’ll keep losing them too if she continues to handle it this way. Not that I’m an expert but I did this with my first and now she’s a manipulative eight year old who will throw tantrums to try and get her way. I do feel bad about eavesdropping. It’s like I’m hiding in her house. I must admit though I’m curious if the kid does actually go to sleep or play quietly for longer than 10 minutes.
I laugh at the thought of someone picking up my house on their monitor. I’m sure it was interesting.
I’ve lived up to my slacker name today. Connor fell asleep last night in the car so I put him straight to bed with his school uniform still on. I sent him to school today in the same uniform. It still looked clean!
Related posts:
I am a self professed slacker mom. I answer to Kristie or slackermommy.
My house is a mess, my kids are obnoxious, and my husband is sexually deprived.
I drive my kids to school in my pj's, I can make a couple of Happy Meals from the floor of my car, my kids eat in front of the television, and I believe a dirty house helps kids have a healthy immune system.
If you can relate then this blog is for you. No sugar coating on my blog. Let's get real about being a mommy, wife, sister, and friend.
You can also find me slacking at:
mimi
November 21st, 2006 at 11:46 am
Oh-oh. If anyone is eavesdropping on my monitor, I’m in big trouble. Sometimes in my nicest-mommy voice, I say rude things to Miss Baby … “Do you call that a nap? Mommy says stop acting like a dink, or she’ll put you out for the wild dogs.” I think I used that one yesterday …
Still, sounds like you had fun, once you figured out it wasn’t YOUR baby having a too-short nap!
1girl2boys
November 21st, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Oh how weird. I never heard anybody else on our monitor and hopefully nobody ever heard us. Glad it wasn’t your baby not sleeping.
Looney Mom
November 21st, 2006 at 12:44 pm
The monitor thing is scary. I would hate for anyone to hear me losing it! So anyway I think sending your kid in the same uniform (letting him sleep in it) works just fine! I’m a slacker too, so I can relate! LOL!
Slackermommy
November 21st, 2006 at 12:46 pm
mimi- Yeah, I was surprised how nice this mommy was. She did eventually start losing her patience and yelled, “What’s wrong with you today?” She held strong though and after 2 1/2 hours the kid finally went to sleep.
1girl2boys- I’ve used baby monitors off and on for 8 years and had this happen only one other time. I picked up a mom yelling at her kid about homework. There’s no telling what has been picked up from my house.
Tabba
November 21st, 2006 at 1:07 pm
Girl, I’m laughing my ass off at your last line. Too.damned.funny.!! Please tell me, you did at least change that boy’s underwear ;)!
This is why I heart you so.
And dear lord, if someone could hear what goes on in this house when my kids are pulling that stuff….. It’d be curtains for me.for sure…curtains.
Girl In Her Underwear
November 21st, 2006 at 1:47 pm
Oh my gosh! I can’t believe you heard us all the way from Texas! I guess you’re right that she’s not falling for the “I’ll be right back” trick!
Obviously kidding, and I’ve never tried that trick of telling them I’d come back. Hmmmm….
I came over here to see if your pretty shoes were on display yet.
Ha ha! My feet are so scared to go near those boots ever again!
Janet a.k.a. "Wonder Mom"
November 21st, 2006 at 2:13 pm
If anyone ever heard what happens through my monitor, they may call child services…hee hee.
Domestic Goddess
November 21st, 2006 at 2:51 pm
Hey, if it looks clean - go for it. I’m thinkin’ if they are dressed, that is half the battle.
Tonya
November 21st, 2006 at 4:00 pm
You are my hero! When Karate Kid was an infant/toddler, I used to bathe him and then put him to bed in what he was going to wear to the sitter’s house the next day. One less step for me in the morning!
Momish
November 21st, 2006 at 6:19 pm
That is too funny! I once picked up my neighbor’s conversation how they thought their 11 year old nephew was gay. I felt bad for listening, but I just couldn’t tear away to turn it off! I was paranoid from then on about saying too much in front of ours!
You are killing me with the uniform tidbit! I love it!
kimberly
November 21st, 2006 at 8:13 pm
Oh my gosh that would freak me the heck out! I would go around the neighboorhood trying to figure out who it was! “Um, excuse me. Can you please take care of your kid? I can hear him and it’s bugging me.”
And to think someone might pick up stuff from MY monitor? Especially when it’s picking up stuff that…um…might be coming from MY bedroom and not the kids’ room?! GAaahhheewwwwe.
By the way, I consider it cruel and unusual to wake a soundly-sleeping kid just to get pjs on him. Much kinder to let him sleep in whatever.
Neila
November 21st, 2006 at 9:56 pm
Oh sister, last week I put Eli to bed in his clothes and tennis shoes. It was soooo easy to get him ready for preschool the next day.
We gotta do what we gotta do!!