screaming in front of the priest

As mi cuñado came back into town to stay with us for a few more days this week before heading back to The (real) Land of Hanalei, we took the opportunity to go downtown. There were lots of demonstrations yesterday as it was the National March for Life day and, although not participating in the March itself, we found ourselves right smack dab in the middle of it! Fortunately two cute children in a tandem stroller was often enough to help us push through crowds, but in the end it was two police officers who came up behind us that helped us get through.

The hardest part of just about anything...out of town visitors (even though we love having them), going downtown for the day, etc., is the fact that it knocks our daily schedule out of whack, and C really needs a good nap during the day, or he is just a Nasty Little Man come nightfall. And not only that, he s.c.r.e.a.m.e.d. all the way home on the metro.

Permit me to elaborate one minute on this. We were surrounded by an entire trainload-full of pro-lifers who instead were looking like "oh, how cute", and there was a priest right next to us, seated. K just wanted to get out of the stroller and couldn't understand reason why I couldn't let her (reason being way too crowded, no seats, etc.) so trying to reason with my 4 year old amidst screaming from my 17 month old just didn't happen very well. Am I being tested here?...I thought to myself.

This continued all the way to the end of the line, where our car is parked and trying to ply C with cookies did not help; indeed, Nasty Little Man had returned and he would take each cookie offered him and THROW it with all his might away from the stroller.

Then to deal with the people going to the parking deck up the elevator...the same one we had to take (if I had a choice I would have walked, but there was no choice). I know they meant well, but I really don't want to hear simpatía ni empatía when your child won't stop screaming...I would much rather they make my child stop, since I obviously was not doing a very good job of that myself.

As soon as he got into his carseat, he stopped crying. Familiarity, perhaps? Who knows, but at least I had MQE with me next time last night he threw his big 1 hour fit at 11 p.m.

I'm tired.

Oh, and today is the first day back at classes. I love the first day, as it is always charged with adrenaline and new faces to get to know and first impressions to make. I like my students to leave the first day thinking, "Dude, this class is gonna rock!"