Nothing New Under The Sun

On Friday night, Ollie was getting stir crazy from being inside for too many hours.  His parents were being very selfish and didn't want to leave the cocoon of the air conditioning in the 101 degree heat!  He doesn't have too many words yet, but certainly can communicate what it is that he wants!  For instance, he will get his shoes and hand them to me and get behind the stroller and push it into the middle of the living room!  Subtle much, Olls??

So, I decided to give in and take a whirl to one of our usual destinations: Wallgreens!  We needed some whole milk and maybe a pint of Ben & Jerrys to survive the deadly heat!  I also decided to make it even more fun but letting ollie ride his fun Kettle trike!  Months back I became OBSESSED with getting this bike for him, fearing he would be so deprived if he didn't get it immediately..... ordered it, put it together and can not so proudly say that we have taken it out on the mean streets of Boston approximately 6 times in 5 months. 

Anyway, he was sooo excited to get strapped in and be totally unencumbered, spinning around 360 degrees to point out each and every single large vehicle with wheels.  He was barefoot and in super cute striped Mini Boden board shorts and a white tee - I was thinking to myself: look at this cute boy and this carefree summer night, I'm so happy!   Then we hit the new Wallgreens superstore that recently opened up in Downtown Crossing.  It is only a block away from our house and they have organic whole milk! Which means we dont have to trek down the hill to Whole Foods when we open the fridge at 7pm and see that we are not prepared for evening and morning bottle (yup, I know!  A 17 month old should not still be drinking from a bottle!).

Everyone was commenting on the cute red headed boy on his bike and he would shamelessly flirt back, cocking his head to the side with a little smirk!  I went to the grab the milk and threw it in the back of the bike.  With this thud, a floodgate opened.  Oliver wanted to hold the milk and hold it NOW!  When I refused to let him, he lost his mind and started crying and throwing a huge tantrum, all while strapped into the bike.   I quickly purchased the milk and ran home.  Outside on the sidewalk a mom and dad were stopped with a double stroller looking at a map - probably tourists walking the Freedom Trail.   In order to acknowledge that I realize this screaming isn't normal and I'm not a crazy mom, I of course felt the need to say something self-deprecating and sarcastic.  So they glanced at me and I said 'this is fun, huh?' to which they calmly replied: "We feel your pain, that was our entire morning".

Sooo even though I have worked with kids my entire life and know all about these tantrums and I've given that knowing smile to many moms that were in my spot on the street, this one sentance uttered by this mom & dad made me feel soooo much better!  I once again realized that all this craziness is normal (sometimes!) and that we're all going through the same stuff!  I hope that when he is 20 and putting his tenacious ways towards something big, we will laugh together at how much of a strong willed and stubborn baby he once was.  To those who know me and Chris, you see the stubborn apple didn't fall far!

My mom's famous line is "there is nothing new under the sun" and as I grow older, it really resonates with me.  There really isn't!  Every marriage has their tough times, every mom has struggles, and we are all just soo soo freakin TIRED!  However, what makes all this bedlam worth it are those moments when you open the door and your baby runs to you, jumps into your arms and puts his head on your shoulder because that is home to him.  Sheer euphoria.