The 6yo has a strange habit. A collecting habit. But he’s not collecting toy cars, or video games, or baseballs. No, that would be too…predictable. He’s just collecting.
We’ll be at the park/zoo/beach and he’ll run at me with feverish intent, only to hand me a small length of broken shoe string, or a feather, or a bottle cap. “Here, for my collection,” he’ll say before running away. He collects anywhere inspiration strikes. Small piles of these random accumulations sit in various bowls, drawers, and niches all over our house.
There seems to be no specific criteria for what makes it into his trash hoarding stockpile: anything goes. He’s even handed me wet, wilted reeds from the bottom of pools. When asked what purpose these items serve, he answers simply, “To remember.”
I’ve come to realize these tiny tokens enshrine moments. They are his way of keeping memories alive, which makes the piles around my house (and bottom of my purse) like little photo albums, filled with special snapshots of his life.
Well damn.
That tugs at my heart a little. I might even be tempted to use the word endearing.
And then I recall that this is the same child who – at the age of four when I told him he couldn’t have candy at the checkout counter of Target – screamed repeatedly, “YOU’RE A PENIS!”
Not so endearing anymore. Nope. Notsomuch.
Oh, please share with me your kiddo’s worst, most embarrassing tantrum! Mine have done it all…and I mean ALL. I LOVE hearing from you! You all make me laugh more than anyone!
Beth Teliho 
Beth — great blog — and I just want to know which kid!!!! Thankfully my kids are not tantrum kids (well, I guess Coleton still has time). Keep writing!!
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Thank you so much Suzanne! It means a lot to me that you’re enjoying it.
As for which kiddo….well, I mentioned it was the 6yo, so I think you know now. 😉
However, the 9yo had his fair share of HORRIBLE tantrums and embarrassing public moments, trust. Once, while in Target (why do all these happen in Target?) he sang a 10 minute song about Vaginas while I was going up/down the aisles. He wouldn’t “shh”. He wouldn’t stop. He was about five years old. Yep. The Vag Song. Loud and Proud. That’s my boy.
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I got to a point I refused to take them to the grocery store or a restaurant until they learned how to behave in public. Wow, calling you a penis and the vagina song. Glad I had girls. Now they are grown and I have two grand daughters. The oldest, 4 yrs old, is quite the tantrum thrower. She takes after her Nana (me) unfortunately and when she gets angry it takes her forever to come down from it. Even though she can scream like a banshee I don’t think I can top yours, yet. I’ll let you know if that changes.
As for the little piles, I say he is either in training to replace MacGyver or a Shaman. Either way I think it is cute.
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Haha! Yeah, mine get so offended when I run errands while they’re in school. They want to come with me & can’t understand why I wouldn’t want to take them!?!? Really? You’re surprised I would try to go alone?? Puleeeze!
shaman? Now that would be cool! 🙂
I can’t help but think these passionate tantrums don’t tip the scales and even out what moms of girls have to deal with when hormones come into play, yes?
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My son totally does this too – and he is 10, not the Penis yelling but the hoarding of random bits of things. My dryer can testify to this. Check out Theme Thursday tomorrow with somethingclever2.0 – the theme is Collecting…looks like yours is all ready to go:) Thanks for hooking up today!!!
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