nanny nanny boo boo, stick your head in doo doo

I'm sure you were all in the same boat - a no school day. Normally it would've been no big deal. Except, if you recall from my rantings last week, there was barely any school because of the snow and ice. Certainly made for the long holiday weekend to seem even that much longer. With the snow and ice still hanging on, and the ever so slight snow flurries from this morning combined with my totally pitiful, apathetic outlook on life today - we did nothing.

After waking with a massive headache which I can only assume was stress related seeing as I had more than enough sleep, though fitful, last night, I was pleasantly surprised to find some Fandango bucks in my email. A gift from a friend so WJ and I could head out to a movie today. After insane amounts of caffeine to try and rid myself of the pounding ache in my head, neck, and shoulders, I pulled up the Fandango site to check out the movie schedule and make our purchase. Sights were set on Happy Feet. But since it's been out for so long now, there was only one showing. At 11:30am. Less than an hour from the time it was then. Bah!

When we went to see Charlotte's Web a few weeks back, we'd seen the previews for Night at the Museum and it looked pretty good. Plus, the neighbor kids just went with their grandpa on Friday and gave it a thumbs up. So, I pulled open the trailer, and called WJ over to watch it.

"Yeah, I've seen this already, Mom!"

"I know," I replied, "doesn't it look good?"

"I guess," he said.

Without hesitation I told him, "Hold on a sec!" and pulled up the trailer for Arthur and the Invisibles.

"I've seen this one too," he mumbled, all the time looking across the room at whatever was playing on the TV.

"It looks good," I pressed. "Would you rather see this one?"

"Nah, not really."

I was dumbfounded.

"Well, we have some Fandango bucks to go to the movies today. Which one do you want to see?" I asked.

"Do we have to go to the movies?"

"Well... no!? I guess not."

"Okay, good. Can I go play now?"

"Uh, yeah."

And with that, he was gone.

I was frustrated, baffled, and pretty much disappointed. My kid, who asks me to do things with him, take him places, and buy him things, while noting that I don't always have the time or money to do so, was given the opportunity to do all three things at once thanks to the generosity of a friend. And he turns it down. I don't get it? I know if I'd just told him we were going and didn't give him the choice he'd have complained the whole way there but enjoyed it in the long run. But I wanted it to be something he wanted to do - not something I was making him do. Was I asking too much?

Maybe I was being selfish? I really needed this outing. Needed to get out of the house. Needed the distraction from the chaos of my life. Instead we did nothing. He played and I puttered around aimlessly trying to get things done but finding roadblocks in my way.

Tomorrow's another day. The normalcy will return. School will be open. There won't be some stupid federal holiday shutting things down, keeping me from taking care of issues that will hopefully relieve some of my stress. And, with any luck, I won't have another massive headache to contend with.