This whole week, Henry has been so fussy. Did you ever see that thing, I think it was some PBS show, where first you see a video of a scary crocodile walking along the edge of the water, and they play horror-movie music in the background? and then you see the same video again, but this time with silly, ballerina-hippo-type music? It’s amazing how different the scene looks, just with that soundtrack change: first the crocodile looks scary and ugly, and two seconds later his waddle seems hilarious and lovable.
That’s how it is around here: Henry’s fussing is the soundtrack of my day, and it changes the way I perceive the scene. A toddler asking me “My have that? My have that PINK HOAT? an’ wear it, and it is so fuffy?” (My have that pink coat and wear it and it is so fluffy) is so cute under normal circumstances, but when the baby is crabbing in the background and has been ALL DAY despite cuddles and playing and tylenol and extra nursing/food and trying not to walk away from him because it triggers what is probably separation anxiety, it is very, very difficult to focus on a little piping voice insisting that I repeat back to her everything she’s saying, and it is difficult to find it cute when she wants to hear me say it once more with feeling, and it is difficult to see our household as anything but a roiling pit of noise and demands and complaints—even if what I’m actually seeing is cuteness.
(I originally had a 60-second video here that illustrated EXACTLY what I meant: Henry crying while cute Elizabeth tried to tell me something. But after letting Blogger “process” the video for FORTY-FIVE MINUTES with no end in sight, I gave up. And get this: I hit cancel, and it is STILL “PROCESSING.”)
This is how I feel about driving with AD in the car. Every little grouse she makes makes me want to SNAP, even though normally those things are No Big Deal or even CUTE (like saying mamamamamamamaMAMA over and over). But since I’m already doing something STRESSFUL that I HATE, I’m all brittle slash irritable mom-hag.
Or how you can remind your older kids nicely to pick up their socks and thank them for putting away their shoes, unless you didn’t get enough sleep the night before and you’re absolutely sick of being on kid duty anyway, and the socks become a raging, screaming reminder that your kids never listen to anything you say. So you become a raging, screaming mother. Hypothetically speaking.
(The pink coat so fuffy is Adorable.)
— Mairzy.
This is how I feel about ED lately and all of his 4-year-old questions. And the way he ends EVERY sentence with “RIGHT??” looking for affirmation. It’s cute, and he’s learning, but I totally just want to scream!!!
The blogger video thing is ridiculous—I use photobucket and you can copy th html right over here. Works like a charm.
it’s amazing how annoying things are when you’re already, um, annoyed. What kills me is when I am clearly in a pissy mood and someone feels the need to say “wow, you’re in a bad mood.” GAH.
I had the same blogger issue trying to load some pictures the other day. I guess that’s what flickr is for.
The crocodile thing is the PERFECT explanation for this. And the photo is the perfect illustration. Stupid video, though.
Ick. Even when they are cute, cranky children can really make you want to rip your own ears off to cease the whining.
Hopefully he is sunny again soon!
Oh my goodness – look at that face! He’s cute even crabby, at least with no sound.
Whining sucks. Hope it ends soon.
The soundtrack in our house is “yes no? yes no?” and it IS starting to make everything seem tedious and awful. I didn’t even think about it until you wrote it but the upswing in “cranky noise” is probably causing the mood change in our home over the past few days. hmmmmm
and can I just say – I think Henry looks just like Elizabeth in that picture!
Oh gosh he does look a tad crabby. I am dealing with a teething infant and so KNOW HOW YOU FEEL!
Also I had the same issue with the videos- you have to compress them first in your editing program.
Can I just say that Henry in his gang hoodie making growly faces made me giggle a little?
My son (I think about the same age as Henry) is SUPER CRABBY lately too! Maybe it’s in the air (although mine is breaking a molar, so it’s probably that.) I don’t have the background noise of toddler conversation, but the constant “EHHHHHH” from my usually uber-happy baby is grating on my nerves.
Hope both our kids get over this post haste.
I’m always amused at how quickly Elliot can go from the cutest 7 month old with a happy toothy grin to the devil himself who won’t shut the heck up for five seconds. I guess it’s just babies and, thankfully, they grow up. Alas, I’ll look back and yearn for the early months. Maybe.
dude – i’m so glad the endless whine gets to you too. i start feeling like, oh my gah, i suck because i can’t even take ehhhhhhh for 20 minutes!
i suppose i shouldn’t be surprised because i turn down the radio to park too. :)
This pic of Henry and the one from the previous post are too funny, viewed one right after another.
I obviously don’t have children, but I feel that same twitchy, ARRRGH feeling when I’m listening to a song where the last 2 minutes of it feature the same chorus repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Gah.
This pic of Henry and the one from the previous post are too funny, viewed one right after another.
I obviously don’t have children, but I feel that same twitchy, ARRRGH feeling when I’m listening to a song where the last 2 minutes of it feature the same chorus repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Gah.
This pic of Henry and the one from the previous post are too funny, viewed one right after another.
I obviously don’t have children, but I feel that same twitchy, ARRRGH feeling when I’m listening to a song where the last 2 minutes of it feature the same chorus repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Gah.
it’s all i can do to deal w/my coworkers being whiny and irritating..
YES. Thank you for explaining this. I think about this a lot and try to reason myself out of crabbiness, thinking this will drown out the whining & crying but it never works. I can’t NOT hear it. It makes me feel out of control and panicky.
I know EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN. I have A TON more patience with everyone when the baby is in a good mood, but when she is fussy, I’m a total grouch. Funny how it’s always the littlest one that has total control.
I agree – for some reason, it is like listening to hard rock thrash metal or Enya in the background. Youe either want to throw your china across the room or light some candles and take a bath.
And blogger sucks for videos. Try another site like tinypic.com or motionbox.com if you want to stay away from youtube.
i have that same soundtrack and it is the PITS. PITS, I tell ya.
Yes! Scott always points out how sensitive I am to noise and how it easily affects my mood.
Oh mine is the opposite. The twins are mostly happy, but it’s the 3 year old having a tantrum that sets me off. Then simple things like one of the twins whacking me in the face with a toy sends me over the edge. Because in our house, the tantrums and whacking are a constant. ugh.
I totally know that feeling and I only have ONE child. It’s uhhh, the SPOUSE who looks less than cute. I tell him that I used up all my nice on the baby.
Oh, and my girl is also going through WICKED separation anxiety. wth?
I’ve been listening to the same soundtrack for a few days now, too. Charlotte has double-ear infections, and is whining at me constantly. Super-annoying.
Oh I hope your soundtrack changes soon.
I have an issue with repetative noises, like when Harper insists on pounding something. It also used to drive me crazy when my first graders would tap or roll their pencils on their desks all the live long day!!! Why are kids so noisy?
Oh, I really feel you. It’s amazing how a cute face with a whiney sound being emitted can really throw off your whole day!
Well…..uummm, the picture was really cute. Things always seem worse to me when I am pissy
HEY! That’s the excersaucer my kids had when they were babies!!!
Dramamama- Doesn’t it have that “late ’90s” look? I bought it when Rob was a baby, back in 1999. It’s been great, though of course the musical star has long since stopped working.
I bought mine in 1999 too! If I recall correctly, the star stopped working at some point when my second was using it, but it was still a great piece of equipment.
The best that was out at that point I think…
i wish the video worked! i’m the same way with cacophonous music. it drives me. freaking. crazy. in certain situations. happily the significant otter will turn it down if he sees that happening.
Oh that face is priceless! :)