Brain ache

It may have been caused by almost an hour of this:

[flickr video=3813066932]

I went to the UW Credit Union with Sylvia today (Andrew was at an Aldo Leopold Nature Center class).  My sweet girl was darling and flirtatious for the first 20 minutes.  Then I took her to the bathroom and she wanted to wash her hands (without end), and when I took her away from the sink, she screamed screamed for about 40 minutes.  This video is taken on the drive home*.

Soon after, I felt a searing pain in my temples, I was seeing spots, and I had a strong desire to throw up or go to sleep.  If I’m 70 and seeing a neurologist about brain troubles, I’m pointing the finger at least in part at my sweet daughter’s mind-destroyingly shrill, persistent screeching.

*I don’t condone the filming of videos while driving.  I was desperate.  I pointed the camera at here while I was stopped and held it with one hand while facing forward driving.  Just so you know:)

24 Replies to “Brain ache”

  1. You are such a trooper. And you are making me thankful that Spencer (so far) does not have that type of tantrums. May we recommend a lovely California wine at the end of the evening? Monday, before dawn, marked the beginning of the 2009 grape harvest (called the "crush"), so says our newspaper (the pinot noir grapes are first).

  2. Oh! Way to go strong mama. In the few seconds I listend to the video Ialready started to get a headache and I had the volume down. It will make for a funny story late in life!

  3. Julie, thanks for the note and the wine suggestion. I love the idea of grape harvest starting before dawn. Pinot noir is my favorite:)Sarah, I'm glad that yesterday is over. Today has been much improved!

  4. Julie, thanks for the note and the wine suggestion. I love the idea of grape harvest starting before dawn. Pinot noir is my favorite:)Sarah, I'm glad that yesterday is over. Today has been much improved!

  5. Thanks, Karen. It really was off and on a rather terrible afternoon. Sylvia feels such intense fury and anger…and then such glee and delight and sweetness. It’s hard for me to watch her (and sometimes to cause) these massive tantrums. They just go on and on, and they’re so very strong.
    Also, while I’m really glad that she doesn’t tend to find herself furious like this when she’s with other people (even Bryan), it hurts me to think that my relationship with my sweet girl is often fraught with so much negative intensity. I want our time together to be gentle and adventurous and exciting and comforting and nurturing and loving.
    Maybe I’ll sit down with my Mary Sheedy Kurcinka books tonight for some inspiration.

  6. You are such a trooper. And you are making me thankful that our guy (so far) does not have that type of tantrums. May we recommend a lovely California wine at the end of the evening? Monday, before dawn, marked the beginning of the 2009 grape harvest (called the "crush"), so says our newspaper (the pinot noir grapes are first).

  7. Oh! Way to go strong mama. In the few seconds I listend to the video Ialready started to get a headache and I had the volume down. It will make for a funny story late in life!

  8. Julie, thanks for the note and the wine suggestion. I love the idea of grape harvest starting before dawn. Pinot noir is my favorite:)Sarah, I'm glad that yesterday is over. Today has been much improved!

  9. I don’t think it is anything YOU are doing, my dear. You are just the person with whom she spends the most time, so you are more likely to witness a tantrum. What little I know of tantrums, they are less likely to occur in situations that are different and interesting – like spending time with someone other than the primary caregiver!

    And remember – she’s not furious with you, she’s furious with frustration that she can’t control her world.

  10. i have the feeling that biggerness + a greater ability to express herself will be a much better situation for the part of Sylvia that feels out of control/washed over from time to time. in the meantime, poor darling sylv and poor darling sylvie’s mama!

Comments are closed.