I want my stick!!!

I have several blog entries that have been in my mind for over a week. Going to see if I can get them all down today- now that the birthday is finally completely over!

Thursday was Akila's actual birthday. After the party with the teenagers on Wednesday night, my niece and nephew stayed over night. Dan and Tara (their parents), came for dinner on Thursday night to pick up the kids. Akila had had a pretty good day, a couple of pretty good days full of lots of excitement. I knew deep down inside that we were in for an explosion. It happened of course.

A few weeks ago, during a storm, a tree was knocked down across the street from us. My other 3 kids spent an entire afternoon and evening cutting the tree up and making a fort. I gave them all the saws I had, and they worked with two neighbor kids. Akila was not involved at all. The city of course came and cleaned it up right away. When I want the city to get on top of something, it takes them forever. When I want them to hold off, they're here immediately.

My kids asked me if they could bring one of the logs they had cut over to our yard first and I said yes. Little did I know that they brought like 4 huge logs and a bunch of very large branches. This wood sat inbetween our house and the neighbors house for over a week and the kids did not touch it. When Dan and Tara were leaving, Tara noticed it and I of course complained and Tara said they could use it for fire wood as they have a wood burning fireplace.

I loved the idea and we were about to start loading it into their truck when the kids all revolted. It looked like a scene from the news with tree huggers chaining themselves to the trees. The kids were laying on the logs and screaming. Which immediately got Akila "in the game". She sat down on the trees and refused to get off. Tara felt bad and said we could forge the idea, but I said no way, take the wood!!

Akila turned into a great advocate for the trees, which let me remind you, she has had nothing to do with. Before it was over, I had to bring her in the house as she was hitting and scratching and getting totally out of control. We ended up in a restraint and she was crying, drooling and yelling, "I want my stick", "that is my special stick" over and over. Eventually, to calm her down, I had to go upstairs and play Barbies with her (my least favorite thing to do, practically in the whole world).

But at least I was happy the birthday was finally over. Or so I thought.......