Too Much Fun Spoils the Broth

Eight more days until First Grade.  I know that because Raphaela has become so enthusiastic about the idea of Evelyna that she insisted we make up a chart for the rest of vacation, counting down the hours and minutes until this event.

I thought that it might be nice to spend some fun quality time with my daughter during these last days of Summer vacation.  I thought it might be nice to give her a good time, a day of all fun and no pressure.

So today we ventured to the Cinema City in Jerusalem, a first for both of us.  We ate pizza for lunch, walked around the mall section a little, and then bought tickets for the movie, "Inside Out." At the theater, we bought popcorn, because that's what you eat during a movie.

Bonus, they happened to be showing our movie in the VIP theater, which meant that we had luxurious padded seats, with full tray tables, adjustable headrests and adjustable foot rests.  Good thing too, because at the climax of the movie when it was at its most sad and scary, Raphaela started crying and needed to sit on my lap until the end of the show.

Afterwards she declined another snack food run, preferring instead to go to the bouncy castle amusement park they have on site.  Great, I thought, she will play here while I sit on a cool, air-conditioned bench, and when we get home she will be invigorated and exhausted.

Five minutes later, after I had just handed over the money for the park, Raphaela proclaimed that she had "had enough" and that she was ready to go home.  I patiently explained that not only was it a waste of money, but it would also be much more boring at home where there were, in fact, no bouncy castles.  I expressed my extreme displeasure and disappointment that she was acting so spoiled and fickle.

Whereupon she sat at the corner and cried.  After five minutes of crying I took her home, because all the fun had been sapped out of the experience, and explained that she would have to sit quietly and think about why I was both sad and angry.  "Just because we are going home does not mean I am a happy Mommy." A punishment was promised.

Almost immediately upon arriving home, she banished herself to her bedroom and fell asleep, thus ruining the whole evening schedule by taking a nap at four in the afternoon.

Next time we are in a place that provides too much temptation, I will think twice before I say "Yes," no matter how persuasive her enthusiasm.

As well, I join the rest of the parents who are counting down the days until we all return to the routine of school.