The Mother's Curse

Bubba runs his hand back and forth along the bars of his crib. "Attica! Attica!" I chant in my head.

Sometimes it is hard not to laugh at the funny things I imagine him saying.
It isn't too late, only 9:30 pm, but it is way past bedtime so  I cannot show him I am even mildly entertained by his antics, or this could go on all night.  I lay him back down for the tenth time and take my position at the side of his crib holding hands through the bars and let my mind wander.

I come up with a great invention. Baby pajamas with industrial strength velcro on the butt and a corresponding fuzzy mattress cover.  Nah.  Too much work, besides it would probably make a loud ripping  noise if he moved and startle him awake once he finally falls asleep.

 Next I remember a conversation my husband and I had before Bubba was born regarding baby temperament. We had hoped for a happy baby that wasn't too fussy and pretty easy going.

"The odds of that happening are unlikely," I told him, "because I have The Mother's Curse".

"The what?" he asked.

"The Mothers Curse is given to you by your own mother and can be given at any time when you are misbehaving. She tells you, 'When you grow up I hope you have a child just like you!'  And then you are cursed." I explained.

He still had not heard of it, apparently he was some angel baby who didn't even cry when he was born. They patted him on the butt and he let out one whine. That was it. He likes to tell this story to remind me of where Bubba got his temperament from. They may look alike, but Bubba is stubborn like me and can be a little monster when he wants.

Like Bubba I had my own bedtime demands as a baby. My parents rocked me to sleep 'til one night...
I continued to pop back up when they would lay me down in the crib (why does that sound so familiar?), then I pointed at the rocking chair in the corner of the room. Sneaky huh. They realized I was playing with them. So my dad tossed the chair out of the room and said, "Rocking chair go bye bye!"  I looked at him for a minute then grabbed my teddy bear lay down and went to sleep. This is what I will be dealing with soon. You can already see the wheels turning...

I have not given Bubba The Mother's Curse, not yet. But every now and then when he is stalling at bedtime I make idle threats.