This past Wednesday was talk like a pirate day. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about you can find out about it here. I learned about it several years ago on the morning radio program I listen to here in Los Angeles, and always found it funny. So I thought it would be fun to tell the girls about it that morning.
"Hey girls! Guess what today is?"
"What?!" They asked matching my enthusiasm.
"Talk like a Piiiirrrrrrrrate Day! Aaarrrrggg!!" I said in my best pirate voice.
"Aaarrrgg!!" They said in their best pirate voice.
Then they proceeded to talk like pirates for the rest of breakfast. Georgia decided to squawk like a parrot for her pirate impression. Then I heard that Krispy Kreme was doing something in honor of the silly day. They were giving free donuts to anyone who came in and asked for a donut in pirate voice. If you dressed like a pirate you'd get a whole dozen! Okay we didn't need that many donuts, not to mention I don't have a pirate costume on hand. Really we didn't need any donuts. But this wasn't about donuts. It was about doing something fun.
See, the problem with being the stay at home parent is that I have to be the one that does all the unfun things. Things like time-outs, saying no to TV, making them do homework, or chores around the house, making them eat their fruit and veggies, and saying no constantly to treats. Especially to sweet tooth Sonya. Andy, on the other hand, is here on the weekends when it's easier to say yes to everything. He gets to be fun Daddy. Sometimes it sucks being the disciplinarian. In fact, last week Georgia and I went to buy some shampoo at the beauty supply store. It happens to be next to a Subway, and she asked to go there for lunch. Of course I said no. She pouted and said,
"Daddy aways takes us! You never do!" Then I think she said something along the lines of me not being fun, but in four year old speak.
Thanks for the knife to the heart GG.
So when I heard that we could get a free donut by talking like pirates, I decided I was going to be the fun parent for once.
Sonya had a half day of school on Wednesday, so we spent the afternoon with Stacy and Carter going to lunch and swimming at their house. I was already up in the fun department. Time to put myself over the top! After we left, we went to check out a kids consignment sale to look for Halloween costumes. It was about 4pm at this point. Now usually I don't let them have anything to eat at after four, because if you've seen the movie Gremlins you know what can happen. Or maybe because it's just to close to dinner and if they have anything past 4, dinner does not happen. Today, however, I was FUN MOMMY! SCREW DINNER!
We got in the car and I asked them if they remembered what day it was. They answered in their pirate voices, GG with a squawk. Then I told them we were going someplace, where if they talked like a pirate, we would get a free treat. They squealed when we pulled into the Krispy Kreme parking lot.
I did get nervous for a minute on the drive over. What if what I heard on the radio wasn't true? Was I taking my kids into a situation where we were going to look like complete asses by asking for donuts in a pirate voice? Not that I haven't done such things before myself, but to do it with the kids... I was planning on saving that kind of embarrassment for when they were teenagers. Not to worry! When we got out of the car I counted at least five people DRESSED like pirates, walking out with their booty of a dozen donuts.
I got the girls psyched up to do their best pirate talk for free donuts and in we went. We marched up to the counter and the lady asked if she could help us. The girls looked at me and I started,
"Aye! We would like some frrrree donuts for talking like pirrrrrates!" I said in my best pirate voice. Behind me the girls were saying, "Aaaarrrgggg! Donut please!! Squawk!"
She smiled at us and motioned us to the other side of the counter where we each got a donut. Now my original plan was to only let the girls eat half, because of it being so close to dinner. But really? Is that what fun mommy would do?
"Mommy, can we just have the whole thing?" Sonya asked after scarfing down her first few bites.
"Eh, go ahead!" I told them.
"Yaaaayyy!!" They cheered.
It did ruin dinner for the night, and they ended up eating half a sandwich at 6:30, but the important thing is we had fun. I got to be the fun parent for once. I went back to being boring, broccoli, no TV, don't even think about treats mommy on Thursday. But for one day I got to be donuts for dinner mommy. I know for fact that when Talk Like a Pirate Day comes next September 19th, they are going to remember how they talked like pirates for donuts the year before. I'm sure that will be followed by "Can we do it again?" And I will say yes! Because being the fun parent once in a while is just as important as being the hard ass one. Not to mention so much easierrrrr, matey!
"Hey girls! Guess what today is?"
"What?!" They asked matching my enthusiasm.
"Talk like a Piiiirrrrrrrrate Day! Aaarrrrggg!!" I said in my best pirate voice.
"Aaarrrgg!!" They said in their best pirate voice.
Then they proceeded to talk like pirates for the rest of breakfast. Georgia decided to squawk like a parrot for her pirate impression. Then I heard that Krispy Kreme was doing something in honor of the silly day. They were giving free donuts to anyone who came in and asked for a donut in pirate voice. If you dressed like a pirate you'd get a whole dozen! Okay we didn't need that many donuts, not to mention I don't have a pirate costume on hand. Really we didn't need any donuts. But this wasn't about donuts. It was about doing something fun.
See, the problem with being the stay at home parent is that I have to be the one that does all the unfun things. Things like time-outs, saying no to TV, making them do homework, or chores around the house, making them eat their fruit and veggies, and saying no constantly to treats. Especially to sweet tooth Sonya. Andy, on the other hand, is here on the weekends when it's easier to say yes to everything. He gets to be fun Daddy. Sometimes it sucks being the disciplinarian. In fact, last week Georgia and I went to buy some shampoo at the beauty supply store. It happens to be next to a Subway, and she asked to go there for lunch. Of course I said no. She pouted and said,
"Daddy aways takes us! You never do!" Then I think she said something along the lines of me not being fun, but in four year old speak.
Thanks for the knife to the heart GG.
So when I heard that we could get a free donut by talking like pirates, I decided I was going to be the fun parent for once.
Sonya had a half day of school on Wednesday, so we spent the afternoon with Stacy and Carter going to lunch and swimming at their house. I was already up in the fun department. Time to put myself over the top! After we left, we went to check out a kids consignment sale to look for Halloween costumes. It was about 4pm at this point. Now usually I don't let them have anything to eat at after four, because if you've seen the movie Gremlins you know what can happen. Or maybe because it's just to close to dinner and if they have anything past 4, dinner does not happen. Today, however, I was FUN MOMMY! SCREW DINNER!
We got in the car and I asked them if they remembered what day it was. They answered in their pirate voices, GG with a squawk. Then I told them we were going someplace, where if they talked like a pirate, we would get a free treat. They squealed when we pulled into the Krispy Kreme parking lot.
I did get nervous for a minute on the drive over. What if what I heard on the radio wasn't true? Was I taking my kids into a situation where we were going to look like complete asses by asking for donuts in a pirate voice? Not that I haven't done such things before myself, but to do it with the kids... I was planning on saving that kind of embarrassment for when they were teenagers. Not to worry! When we got out of the car I counted at least five people DRESSED like pirates, walking out with their booty of a dozen donuts.
I got the girls psyched up to do their best pirate talk for free donuts and in we went. We marched up to the counter and the lady asked if she could help us. The girls looked at me and I started,
"Aye! We would like some frrrree donuts for talking like pirrrrrates!" I said in my best pirate voice. Behind me the girls were saying, "Aaaarrrgggg! Donut please!! Squawk!"
She smiled at us and motioned us to the other side of the counter where we each got a donut. Now my original plan was to only let the girls eat half, because of it being so close to dinner. But really? Is that what fun mommy would do?
"Mommy, can we just have the whole thing?" Sonya asked after scarfing down her first few bites.
"Eh, go ahead!" I told them.
"Yaaaayyy!!" They cheered.
It did ruin dinner for the night, and they ended up eating half a sandwich at 6:30, but the important thing is we had fun. I got to be the fun parent for once. I went back to being boring, broccoli, no TV, don't even think about treats mommy on Thursday. But for one day I got to be donuts for dinner mommy. I know for fact that when Talk Like a Pirate Day comes next September 19th, they are going to remember how they talked like pirates for donuts the year before. I'm sure that will be followed by "Can we do it again?" And I will say yes! Because being the fun parent once in a while is just as important as being the hard ass one. Not to mention so much easierrrrr, matey!
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| Arrrrgggg! Doooonnnuuttss!! |
I love this matey :)
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