Island "Tones"

(Vacationing Editor's Note: John, Sprite, and I are on vacation! We've sprung the kid from pre-school prison for the week and are just enjoying ourselves as a family. A few daytrips are scheduled, but so is an awful lot of free time to just go with the flow, waste time wisely, and maybe teach Sprite basket weaving. Kids like to work with their hands, right?
Anyway, I've asked a few bloggers to pinch hit for me during this week until Friday when I return with the Spin Cycle. The first person I asked was Maureen from IslandRoar. I can't say she's really new to blogging, since the typical blog's lifespan is mere months, so she's positively geriatric at this point, but she's a great writer. I noticed early on that she has a way with stories and tones which kept drawing me back to her pages. Funny how her tone carries into this post as well. If you're not following IslandRoar, you should make it a point to head over after this post and get reading. The best couple of hours you can spend.) 

(I'm not sure she wanted me to include the following italics, but she called my blog sacred. Dude, that is SO cool! Although saying "dude" and "sacred" in the same thought may negate the very essence of "sacred", but that's another post in itself.)

Thank you Jen, for trusting me with your sacred blogging space. I hope you're enjoying your time with Sprite and John, and that you'll come back with plenty of great stories for our entertainment pleasure.

 

With two of my three kids away at college, I have to say I am really not digging this one-child household.

Daughter #2, if you're reading this, don't go getting all crazy on me. You're great, everything a mother could possibly wish for in a daughter…and more (Too much? Maybe I should've stopped at "great?" Sorry).

There's nothing wrong with having one child. Plenty of people do and they're perfectly fine. Happy even.

But I'm just not used to it. And it's HARD. There's no padding.

With several kids around, if one child is in a bad mood, or biting my head off, or sulking or whining, there's still someone else around to talk to, someone that may actually ask me something about my day once in a great while.

I used to think that's what husbands were for. But that turned out to be a load of bunk.

I'm not looking for much here, people. An occasional smile? A reply to a question that doesn't include The Tone?

Yeah, The Tone.  You know what I’m talking about. Because if you don't live with adolescents, you surely were one once upon a time.

I mean, I know The Tone is to adolescents as naps are to toddlers. But when there's more than one kid around, rarely if ever, do two of them cop an attitude and hit me with The Tone at the same time.

I'm not sure why this is. Maybe one of them feels sorry for me and backs down? Or maybe there's some unspoken rule like: Thou shalt not be bitchier than thy sister. Or: Thou shalt take turns being bitchy.

I don't know; if there's an actual manual, they sure as hell make sure I don't see it.

Anyway, with only one 15 year-old at home, I seem to be getting The Tone 23/7.

It can't all be me. I mean, seriously, everything I say can't be stupid, embarrassing, or inflammatory, can it?

Wait, maybe you shouldn't answer that. Maybe I can't handle the truth. I'm very sensitive these days.

Who knew having more kids around was actually a buffer for my fragile ego?

I obviously need a life...

Comments

[Rachel]

ahahahaha! With two girls at 2 and 4, I have already noticed this phenomenon! I had been thinking that one would be the "good child" to annoy her cranky older or younger sister even more, but I think I like your explanation better!

[Beth]

I've never thought about kids taking turns with The Tone, but it is all making sense now.

[Jan]

I have to say that once I got used to having just one kid in the house, I found I love it. Of course, there's the minor matter that the remaining chick in the nest is also the most easy-going of all five of our kids. He's simply a sweetheart, and I rarely get The Tone from him.

Now that I think about it, I rarely got The Tone from Oldest Son - he always gave me The Look. He's lucky I never poked his damn eyeballs out.

[Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)]

Some days I do wish I had more than one so they could distract each other or entertain each other... And thanks for letting me know that The Tone she exhibits at 7 will only get worse. ;)

[Lora]

Plus there is no one around anymore for her to pinch or yell at now that the older ones are gone.

My mom used to tell me that she never realized how much brutality I took from my little brother until I left!

[Erin@TheLocalsLoveIt]

My husband says I still possess The Tone. I have a feeling Karma is going to come back and bite me - hard.

[Pippa]

I had The Tone. I still have The Tone. Top Ender also has The Tone. She also has the eye rolling... I think I will move out now.

[mrsbear]

I know The Tone well. I get it 23/7 from the one teen and her younger sister is just know testing the waters with her own version of The Tone. Combined with the toddler whine and tantrum, it's like one seriously messed up symphony.

[Michele]

With my boys it was the grunt and exit that got me. I mean it was like talking to their backs. They are lucky they weren't knifed as they walked away.

[Casey]

I know exactly what you mean, I get the tone from my kids and they're not even teenagers yet.

[Lisa]

I have already had the tone and my kid is only 3! Oh crap. This is not going to be good at all!

[Heather]

Love ya Maureen!

When I was 15, I truly thought my parents were stupid and embarressing. I was smarter than them and the couldn't possibly teach me anything I didn't already know.

If I only knew, I didn't know anything!

[Pseudo]

Maybe for some of us, it's the LAST kid that has the most tone. My son can make or break my mood sometimes depending on how he is talking to me.

[Pseudo]

PS! Nice to see you over here Maureen and Happy Vacation Sprite Family!

[LPC]

Tagteam assholes. Excuse my language, but that's what a litigator I once knew called it:).

[Sprite's Keeper]

There's a certain way Sprite says "O-KAY, o-KAY" when I ask her something that gives me a foreshadowing of her teenage years.. I am a little afraid..
Thanks again, Maureen! Love this post!

[Menopausal New Mom]

Oh the tone. Yes most of us have used it ourselves way back when. Hearing it now from our own kids might be what our mothers meant when they talked about us having kids of our own would be payback enough!

[PinesLakeRedhead]

I don't have any experience with mothering girls but with boys I've noticed that food is the best attitude adjuster. Feed them and they start to act human again.

[Penny]

Ah yes... The Tone.

I don't have teenagers, nor do I play one on TV... but I was one, once. I remember The Tone was always accompanied by that great Eye Roll. I can't imagine how many times my mother wanted to smack my lips off.

How could she NOT know that I knew EVERYTHING... teenagers are pretty good that way.

;o)

[~The South Dakota Cowgirl~]

whew. i still give my mom the tone once in a while and i'm 30+ years old. i guess i should re-think that.

[jessica]

oh, I know that tone and my kid is SIX

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

Thanks Jen! So much fun getting to "play" over here today!

[Erin]

Hi jen - hope the sprite's are having fun on vacation...

Maureen - great post. I have experienced many many many tone-filled days. Sigh.

Other half has 2 daughters. His eldest is the Queen of Nastiness. I wish I could blog about it.

[Ocean Girl]

Hello Sprite's Keeper, you have chosen well :) Our Maureen is the best.

I enjoyed your post Maureen, as always.

[Lynn]

My daughter, at six, already has The Tone. "What EV-er..." ARGH!!! Is it more of a girl thing? With Adam, I just get, "But I don't WANT to." But the tone...ooooh...dont get me started....