The Ole’ Car Trick

I feel so cleaver and sneaky. You know the type of sneaky when you tip toe to the kids snack closet 20 minutes after the last, “mom I need some water!” (Because everyone knows that’s the time period of action!) So Today my three-year-old Rocket has been amped like, Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands amped.  Wednesdays have been a little rough for him, as his older brothers have been having therapy away from the house on these days. We have had waves of tantrums, runaway train scenes, dinosaurs torturing my unmanaged curls, and even tsunamis in our lovely greenhouse from a water hose that “CAPTIAIN RYAN”- Rockets stuffed friend turned on while getting herbs for dinner.

First I settled for the car wash. I loaded him and the baby into the car, in which we emerged on an adventure through the ocean with octopuses, eels, and even a merman. When we reached the end of the sudsy experience the fussiness began again. My eye twitches as I hear relive the scratching words, “I NEED MY BRUDERS AND MY DADDY!” The baby cries, of course he does. What else would he do with such noise raging next to him?

Not to worry though, I have had two before Rocket and I am a K1 teacher. Lets get this party started, I thought to myself. I next set my sights on the old reverse Psychology. You wanna get wild little dude lets do it. I turn on YouTube and blast every Go Noodle video known to man. We danced and laughed. He loved how loud I allowed the music to be. I enjoyed the fact that he was getting energy out and was distracted while having fun…OOORRRR NOT, because as soon as he seemed to calm, YouTube decided to throw me a curve ball and play one of those AD’s you cant hit the tiny SKIP on. HOME BOY LOST IT. At that moment, I was the director of all things commercial and I was getting in the path of his hands being up high and his feet being down low. Again he reminded me that he missed his brothers. I did too.

Ok, I will not be defeated. If getting hype wouldn’t work I figured I would aim for mellowing out with some Arial Yoga. He LOVES my swing. I reckoned I would put on my oils, play some soft music and stretch him out.  My kids in the class room love it. But for all things Quarantine crazy I kid you not told me that, he was not sleepy. He was on to me. I had to do something quick.

Gloves off  I shouted, “Time to go for a ride.” He was excited and so was I because I know 1 thing for certain and 2 things for sure, the AC, Texas back roads, and the windows slightly cracked for nature’s soundtrack would take him out. I made it 10 minutes down a back road and I turned around to see a very sleep baby and a cackling, glaring Rocket. CHILD PLEASE SLEEP. It was time to pull out full blast AC mode. 15 minutes pass I see him staring out the window silent.       20 minutes and around the corner from his Godmothers house, (What? Pfsss  no, I wasn’t contemplating dropping him off! What kind of mama do you take me fo…..)  He was out cold, literally I think the AC froze him. Silence fell upon the Roberts car. I pulled into a parking lot and for one moment I danced a victory dance that is until I looked in the backseat mirror to see the baby staring right at me.

*Names of my children have been changed =P