The Fleetingness of Mommyhood
Since I have a little time off before I start my new job next Monday, I decided that this week I would take Emily to some fun places, spend a little mommy-daughter time together. I figured the Science Centre would be a safe bet. Emily has really been getting into the planets lately, she's always saying Jupiter this, Saturn that. I hope she turns into an astronomy nerd. I was like that when I was her age. I drew pictures of our solar system with the planets all in order and took great pains colouring them in, making sure I got every nuance of Saturn's rings and Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Unfortunately, the Planetarium here in Toronto has been shut down for a few years, so I figured the Science Centre would be the next best thing. So, we headed out.
Unfortunately, we had to take the subway because my car is in the shop. Long story, but to make it short, it was my fault and I have to pay to fix both cars. It's a long ride to the Science Centre from where we live, and it was quite muggy yesterday. Anyway, we got there a few minutes early and I got a coffee and I got Emily her usual heinous breakfast of Cheetos and an Orange Crush while we waited for the place to open. (I know, as a mother I should be more nutritionally responsible, but there are only so many choices at these food stands and Emily is very picky, won't even touch a muffin.)
My first inkling that this outing wouldn't be the same as our previous mommy/daughter outings was how fidgety she was before the place even opened. She kept whining about how much longer we had to wait, etc. When I took Emily to places when she was younger, it was so different. She was always so much more interested in her surroundings, and just loved being with me. Now, she was getting annoyed and whiny and I could see traces of the teenager in her starting to emerge.
Our first exhibit when the Centre opened was a place called "Kidspace", where they had all these really cool gizmos for the kids to try. There were trick mirrors, pots and pans to bang on and make music, echo chambers, water fountains and bubble pools, air machines that the kids could aim upwards and blow plastic beach balls. There was even this really cool play supermarket with bins that had plastic food, like a real supermarket, and baskets for the kids to use as if they were shopping, and even a play cash register and aprons for the kids to put on and pretend they were the cashier. She loved that.
But when we headed over to the "Space" section, that's where things went downhill. I guess she was really looking forward to seeing something on the planets but there wasn't really anything, just a lot of stuff about the moon and the sun and stars. We went into this little chamber to watch a movie on the ceiling about the birth of the solar system. Morgan Freeman narrated it. Even I had to admit it was a little disappointing. Plus, the fact that I had looked it up on the Internet the night before and the website said that you could meet a Martian there, and there was nothing resembling a Martian didn't help. So, by the time we headed up to the "Human Body" exhibit, Emily was pretty pissed.
I have to admit, I was fascinated with the Human Body exhibit. And let me tell you, if you ever want to teach your kids about sex but are too shy, take them to the Science Centre in Toronto. It had the most straightforward, no bones about it displays about the whole process, and I mean, whole process. I stood there amused while a bunch of schoolkids crowded around a display on human reproduction. There was some kind of film they were watching, and after a few seconds I heard them hoot with laughter and start saying, "Nasty!" The first chance I got, I went over there and watched this thing. It had animation a man and woman kissing, then a silhouette of the man inserting his penis into her vagina and ejaculating inside her (side view).
The other stuff in there was really amazing. They had an elephant heart in a glass case. An elephant heart is really big. They had actual specimens of human organs in displays highlighting where the arteries and veins were. It was really fascinating. But Emily was totally bored. All she wanted to do was go home. I couldn't help feeling disappointed. It just seemed so different from when she was smaller, and everything I told her about or showed her was a constant source of amazement. I remember taking her to Marineland and her smile was so wide, and I remember watching her little face streak by as she rode a little roller coaster with my friend. I can still feel how my heart welled up when I saw her go by, she was so cute. Now, it seems like all she can do is whine and complain. She's only 7. I don't know whether it's her age, a phase she's going through, or the situation between me and my husband, but it seems like nothing I do anymore can really please her. I so miss that "totally in sync with mommy" phase, when she was still my little baby, and she needed me so obviously.
At least, on the way home on the train, I got a tiny piece of it. She was so tired, and she leaned her little head against my arm on the ride home, almost falling asleep. I looked over at her and smiled sadly, knowing all too well that I had better enjoy that fleeting moment. That even that would be gone all too soon.
Unfortunately, we had to take the subway because my car is in the shop. Long story, but to make it short, it was my fault and I have to pay to fix both cars. It's a long ride to the Science Centre from where we live, and it was quite muggy yesterday. Anyway, we got there a few minutes early and I got a coffee and I got Emily her usual heinous breakfast of Cheetos and an Orange Crush while we waited for the place to open. (I know, as a mother I should be more nutritionally responsible, but there are only so many choices at these food stands and Emily is very picky, won't even touch a muffin.)
My first inkling that this outing wouldn't be the same as our previous mommy/daughter outings was how fidgety she was before the place even opened. She kept whining about how much longer we had to wait, etc. When I took Emily to places when she was younger, it was so different. She was always so much more interested in her surroundings, and just loved being with me. Now, she was getting annoyed and whiny and I could see traces of the teenager in her starting to emerge.
Our first exhibit when the Centre opened was a place called "Kidspace", where they had all these really cool gizmos for the kids to try. There were trick mirrors, pots and pans to bang on and make music, echo chambers, water fountains and bubble pools, air machines that the kids could aim upwards and blow plastic beach balls. There was even this really cool play supermarket with bins that had plastic food, like a real supermarket, and baskets for the kids to use as if they were shopping, and even a play cash register and aprons for the kids to put on and pretend they were the cashier. She loved that.
But when we headed over to the "Space" section, that's where things went downhill. I guess she was really looking forward to seeing something on the planets but there wasn't really anything, just a lot of stuff about the moon and the sun and stars. We went into this little chamber to watch a movie on the ceiling about the birth of the solar system. Morgan Freeman narrated it. Even I had to admit it was a little disappointing. Plus, the fact that I had looked it up on the Internet the night before and the website said that you could meet a Martian there, and there was nothing resembling a Martian didn't help. So, by the time we headed up to the "Human Body" exhibit, Emily was pretty pissed.
I have to admit, I was fascinated with the Human Body exhibit. And let me tell you, if you ever want to teach your kids about sex but are too shy, take them to the Science Centre in Toronto. It had the most straightforward, no bones about it displays about the whole process, and I mean, whole process. I stood there amused while a bunch of schoolkids crowded around a display on human reproduction. There was some kind of film they were watching, and after a few seconds I heard them hoot with laughter and start saying, "Nasty!" The first chance I got, I went over there and watched this thing. It had animation a man and woman kissing, then a silhouette of the man inserting his penis into her vagina and ejaculating inside her (side view).
The other stuff in there was really amazing. They had an elephant heart in a glass case. An elephant heart is really big. They had actual specimens of human organs in displays highlighting where the arteries and veins were. It was really fascinating. But Emily was totally bored. All she wanted to do was go home. I couldn't help feeling disappointed. It just seemed so different from when she was smaller, and everything I told her about or showed her was a constant source of amazement. I remember taking her to Marineland and her smile was so wide, and I remember watching her little face streak by as she rode a little roller coaster with my friend. I can still feel how my heart welled up when I saw her go by, she was so cute. Now, it seems like all she can do is whine and complain. She's only 7. I don't know whether it's her age, a phase she's going through, or the situation between me and my husband, but it seems like nothing I do anymore can really please her. I so miss that "totally in sync with mommy" phase, when she was still my little baby, and she needed me so obviously.
At least, on the way home on the train, I got a tiny piece of it. She was so tired, and she leaned her little head against my arm on the ride home, almost falling asleep. I looked over at her and smiled sadly, knowing all too well that I had better enjoy that fleeting moment. That even that would be gone all too soon.
posted by emily pound at 5:46 PM
1 Comments:
Ah... She's starting THAT... and young... Well... Nothing you can really do. She'll regret it all when she grows up and out of the teenage mindset.
I hate to say it... But welcome to teenagers. It won't stop for the next... well for me it was between nine and sixteen, mostly, the worst of it, but my one cousin is 25 and still acts that way so... Who knows.
God, kids are growing up so fast now. They really are. I mean, I really didn't know all the things kids half my age know now. It's depressing to me. Childhood is so precious and so much of that is taken away.
Maybe it's because I never really got to be a little girl. I had to grow up fast. But innocence is so precious to me.
I really hope it's only a phase, for your sake. That she's still going to be that sweet amazed little girl for years more.
~Lily
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