The theme of this week's flashback- "Stick Arm Girl"
April 2007:
After school I was pushing Kendyl in a swing and watching Makenzie try something interesting a few swings away on her school playground. (Note: Makenzie wasn't paying attention to anything around her except what she was doing and so she didn't realize what area of the playground I was at) She had one arm inside her shirt and a stick poking out of her other arm hole. She was holding the stick from inside her shirt so that the divided end of the stick was proped against the swing chain. She was precariasly balancing in this manner and trying to swing when a little girl walked up to her.
Girl: "Hi, what's your name?"
Kenz: "Uuhh... Makenzie" (She grunted while not looking up because she was so focusing on her balance and it took a second to register what the girl had just asked.)
Girl: "I've never seen you before," she said in a tone like she was talking to a hurt puppy.
This made Makenzie look up at her in unbelief because we play there for at least 30 minutes every day after school and she knows most everyone. Then I saw the light click on in her mind as an idea dawned on her. A happy crocidile smile spread across her face as she said back to the girl, "Maybe you don't recognize me because I have a stick for an arm."
Girl: "Yah," she said as she stared at Kenzie's stick arm.
This made Makenzie even more happy as she said in the tone of a parent talking to a child, "Haven't you ever seen a girl with a stick arm before?"
Girl: "Na-uh"
Kenz: "Oh. Well, sometimes kids have to have stick arms when they don't have a real arm. My mom and dad gave me this stick arm so I could swing."
Girl: "ohhhh"
About this point I'd had enough and called Kenzie out of her happy pretending lie, even though I was thoroughly enjoying this inside and trying not to crack.
She almost jumped as she looked back and to the side and saw me.
Kenz: "MO-mmm!" She gritted through her teeth as if to tell me not to ruin her story.
I tilted my head, raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that she understood meant I was serious. She gave an embarrassed chuckle to the girl who was now explaining to another friend that had just walked up about stick arms. Then Kenzie took her arm out and chuckled and told the girl she was just kidding and ran away to find someone else to play with still holding onto her fun stick.
I laughed so hard about this that when we got home I called Seth, my best friend from when I was a kid, and my sister. I loved how much that felt like something I would have done as a kid. It gets better though because the next day...
... as we were walking out the door to head out to school Makenzie spotted her wonderful stick on the porch (she left it there the night before because I told her she couldn't bring it in the house). Again a I saw a light brighten across her little face as she remembered yesterday's adventures with stick arms.
As she picked it up and walked a little with it she seemed to change her mind and turned to me seriously, "Mom. Kids shouldn't bring these kinds of sticks to school because they are almost weapons! A kid got expelled for bringing a pocket knife to school because it was a weapon."
Me: "Oh- I see, but what about all the kids who have to have stick arms at school?" I asked in feign sincereity. :)
She looked up at me with concern and then she realized I was teesing and her brows went down and lips tightened as she said, "Mooom!"
That made me laugh which made her laugh and she threw the stick on the front lawn. As soon as we got into the school we spied a happy little kindergartener (remember Makenzie was a big first grader when this happened). The kindergartener was holding a small stick and bouncing up and down. We then heard her shout to the P.E. Coach, "Coach Jimenez, look at my stick I found!"
Kenzie turned to me and sighed rolling her eyes and whispered, "Kids." :)
After school I was pushing Kendyl in a swing and watching Makenzie try something interesting a few swings away on her school playground. (Note: Makenzie wasn't paying attention to anything around her except what she was doing and so she didn't realize what area of the playground I was at) She had one arm inside her shirt and a stick poking out of her other arm hole. She was holding the stick from inside her shirt so that the divided end of the stick was proped against the swing chain. She was precariasly balancing in this manner and trying to swing when a little girl walked up to her.
Girl: "Hi, what's your name?"
Kenz: "Uuhh... Makenzie" (She grunted while not looking up because she was so focusing on her balance and it took a second to register what the girl had just asked.)
Girl: "I've never seen you before," she said in a tone like she was talking to a hurt puppy.
This made Makenzie look up at her in unbelief because we play there for at least 30 minutes every day after school and she knows most everyone. Then I saw the light click on in her mind as an idea dawned on her. A happy crocidile smile spread across her face as she said back to the girl, "Maybe you don't recognize me because I have a stick for an arm."
Girl: "Yah," she said as she stared at Kenzie's stick arm.
This made Makenzie even more happy as she said in the tone of a parent talking to a child, "Haven't you ever seen a girl with a stick arm before?"
Girl: "Na-uh"
Kenz: "Oh. Well, sometimes kids have to have stick arms when they don't have a real arm. My mom and dad gave me this stick arm so I could swing."
Girl: "ohhhh"
About this point I'd had enough and called Kenzie out of her happy pretending lie, even though I was thoroughly enjoying this inside and trying not to crack.
She almost jumped as she looked back and to the side and saw me.
Kenz: "MO-mmm!" She gritted through her teeth as if to tell me not to ruin her story.
I tilted my head, raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that she understood meant I was serious. She gave an embarrassed chuckle to the girl who was now explaining to another friend that had just walked up about stick arms. Then Kenzie took her arm out and chuckled and told the girl she was just kidding and ran away to find someone else to play with still holding onto her fun stick.
I laughed so hard about this that when we got home I called Seth, my best friend from when I was a kid, and my sister. I loved how much that felt like something I would have done as a kid. It gets better though because the next day...
... as we were walking out the door to head out to school Makenzie spotted her wonderful stick on the porch (she left it there the night before because I told her she couldn't bring it in the house). Again a I saw a light brighten across her little face as she remembered yesterday's adventures with stick arms.
As she picked it up and walked a little with it she seemed to change her mind and turned to me seriously, "Mom. Kids shouldn't bring these kinds of sticks to school because they are almost weapons! A kid got expelled for bringing a pocket knife to school because it was a weapon."
Me: "Oh- I see, but what about all the kids who have to have stick arms at school?" I asked in feign sincereity. :)
She looked up at me with concern and then she realized I was teesing and her brows went down and lips tightened as she said, "Mooom!"
That made me laugh which made her laugh and she threw the stick on the front lawn. As soon as we got into the school we spied a happy little kindergartener (remember Makenzie was a big first grader when this happened). The kindergartener was holding a small stick and bouncing up and down. We then heard her shout to the P.E. Coach, "Coach Jimenez, look at my stick I found!"
Kenzie turned to me and sighed rolling her eyes and whispered, "Kids." :)
2 comments:
I still remember you telling me that story...hilarious!
Hey! It's Crystal Spencer... I hope you don't mind me taking a peek at your blog after watching Makenzie's commerical. (By the way, it was adorable! It amazed the other kids in class that she was actually on TV!) I love this story about Makenzie. She is such a fun girl! Take as much time as you need before you come back... we'll be so excited when you can make it again!
Post a Comment