Friday, October 23, 2009

High Impact Wiggles





My daughter, Miss Wiggles, is to say the least a tough little girl. I have seen her get in the middle of my son and his friends wrestling on the floor and come away laughing. Our trips to the beach no matter how overall relaxing always has moments of sheer terror. I have caught my daughter trying to wandering into rough surf alone believing she can handle it; running up to strange dogs constantly thinking they will want to play with her as much as she wants to play them; and the real terror episode was when she was desperate to swim next to a jellyfish going about its merry and oblivious way. Many times only divine protection and sheer luck has prevented disaster.

My daughter dynamism does spill over back home and in school resulting in many notes from her teachers sometimes writing of something akin to a tiny revolutionary out to squash the established order. At daycare one time I came to pick her up after work only to have a talk with a very tired and frustrated college girl majoring in education about how upset Wiggles got when she found out that vanilla pudding was going to be served for the afternoon snack instead of chocolate. If the description of the events described by the young lady were true my daughter staged something close to a strike getting other children to refuse to accept what she called that nasty stuff. Still though, she does have moments where the little girl stands out and not some extra concentrated package of "blood and guts" out to conquer the world.

When I picked her up Wednesday she had the usual look of having done something that would result in a talking to back home. Examining her daily papers back at the house my wife and I did find a note from her teacher stating that she had kicked a little boy in the nuts that day. Wiggles was not at all responsive about why she had done such a thing, refusing to talk about it at all. After dinner though when she was tired and sleepy she did open up about what had happened.

The troubles started at recess-don't they always-when the little boy in question for some reason came up and hit her. Wiggles started crying when she said that the teacher didn't really listen to her when she went to go tell and when the boy came back before he could get at her again she kicked him, apparently making the little shit run off to the teachers screaming foul.

While it might be naive I believed my daughter and wrote a "nice" note back to the teacher explaining Wiggles side and how when she went to tell a teacher they didn't listen to her. I also dropped a line or two wondering how this happened and how it might be better if they spend a little more time getting the whole story.

Thursday afternoon we found a note from Wiggles' teacher apologizing for not finding out the whole story and that the little boy in question had gotten a note sent home for his actions and was forced to apologize to my daughter. Now this story should end here but like so many things in life nothing ever really ends. Late Friday afternoon we decided to grab a quick dinner at the fast food chicken sandwich place then hit a movie. My wife and I were at the table watching Wiggles play with a little boy in the enclosed playground and after refusing several times to come eat her food I was forced to go inside and physically bring her to the table. Much to my surprise she was followed by her playmate and when I started to talk with him I was very surprised to learn that her playmate was none other than the little boy that had hit her and that she had kicked in the nuts. The two continued to talk while she ate and upon Dragonwife and I briefly exchanged greeting with the boys parents.

Walking out the door the boy yelled out, "I'm sorry I hit you the other day." Clearly heard by everyone in the place.

With my daughter yelling back even louder, "I'm sorry I kicked you in the nuts." The place fell silent as we left with me wishing that things could be this easy for grownups.

16 comments:

Laura said...

Haha!
Give kids a chance and they'll work it out themselves (usually).

The real problem here is that, as usual, all this crap went down when no one was watching. The only time my kids were ever involved in some sort of scuffle was when they weren't properly supervised.

Miss Wiggles sounds like my kind of kid. :) At least she stood up for herself.
Saying that.. as the Mother of 3 boys and one daughter, I know that girls are the biggest shit disturbers out there. I swear, all 3 boys put together provide less drama than that one 7 year old girl.
Sounds like you've got your hands full, but in a good way.
She's very cute and I can tell in the picture that she loves her Daddy. :)

How old is she? You think she's full of piss and vinegar now? Just you wait... I've tried to warn my husband about Miss Gabriella but he won't believe me about what is to come in the next few years....
I swear. There is nothing more miserable looking than a teenage girl!

((Hugs))
Laura

MRMacrum said...

Sounds like Miss Wiggles will do fine. Some kids need to be coaxed into standing up for themselves, and others like your daughter don't. Admirable now. In a few years though, you may not enjoy it so much. Be prepared.

Randal Graves said...

Miss Wiggles sounds like someone who is going to kick much ass - figuratively, not literally - in the future. And, echoing the previous commentary, one of the asses might be yours. ;-)

Kentucky Rain said...

LOL LOL LOL!!!!! Out of the mouths of babes....What a great accounting of the life and times of Miss Wiggles (and family). BTW is that a beard on your chin or is it sand, or perhaps my eyes?

Cirze said...

Now there's a tough duo.

And I'm not talking Batman and Robin.

BB & MW.

Hands down.

Play your cards right and she'll take care of YOU in your (much) later years.

S

Marja said...

Ah a little treasures spirited girl. Good for the world but hard work for the parents. A great asset though, one that is needed .
Both my children are somewhat spirited as well. When a boy pushed my son from the climbing frame and I had to come to pick him up he was so angry that two teachers had to restrain him from not going after the boy.
and my daughter went screaming and kicking on the floor because she had so much fun one day at kindy that she didn't want to go home
I walked of and the teacher stayed
with her After half an hour the teacher asked desperately "Is the floor not a bit cold. Than she stood up and walked of.
I felt terrible back than

Distributorcap said...

maybe miss wiggles will be the first female president

the kid is one fine kid..... tho as others have said - wait until she is a teenager

and that was a great story

Vigilante said...

Ho Ho Ho. Ms Wiggles is receiving a proper up-bringing, all right!

Oso said...

Beach,
great story.I raised two daughters,both spirited too.I'm glad you're enjoying her.She's lucky too,to be so loved.

One time I got a phone call with my youngest exclaiming "Dad I just dropped a guy".Long story but Miss Wiggles may follow in Biggie's footsteps.

Good luck man !

Commander Zaius said...

Sunshine: It turns out that the teacher who was suppose to be supervising the kids at recess was her first grade teacher who one parent caught sleeping during class last year.

Yeah, my daughter can really stir up trouble in a otherwise calm peaceful day, but so can my wife but I won't go there this time.

Wiggles is seven now, and I already have uncomfortable ideas of how she will be in her teenage years.

MRMacrum: A good while ago Wiggles got into a fuss with her brother, who is 14, while his buddies were around and got a zinger in on him that caused his friends to bust out laughing. Its gotten to the point that my son watches his mouth around her so not to let her get the verbal best of him.

Given the couple of times she back-talked me it is looking scary about keeping her in line.

Randal: I figure its only a matter of time with her taking a bite out of me.

Madmike: Wiggles keeps me busy, especially last night with a sleepover that had both girls sneaking into the kitchen to raid the Krispy Kreme donuts that my son had claimed for Saturday breakfast.

***Dinner Bell is ringing, will finish responses after we finish.****

Commander Zaius said...

Suzan: Yeah, right now she is my travel buddy going to the beach but like my son before her, she is starting to have a social life and I have to heavily bribe her to go with me.

Like I wrote my beach trips are relaxing but everyone has moments were she scares me. To be honest in a few years when I can't get her to go I'm sort of looking forward to taking a book, fishing pole, or even a surfboard again to the beach and being able to completely kick back.

Marja: You wrote: ...and my daughter went screaming and kicking on the floor because she had so much fun one day at kindy that she didn't want to go home...
I know the feeling! At a funpark a few weeks ago we had a total of twenty dollars we could use and after we spent the money, all too fast, I told my daughter it was time to go home. She just had no idea why I could not use the magic plastic card and get more money. I had to drag her out of the place, it wasn't fun.

DCap: It is fun to imagine her as president. We would have to change the Constitution first and stop her from sending several blowhard talk-radio host on one-way deep space missions. I already have her fully trained on both Buffett and NPR.

Vigil: Sometimes I think she is raising me. Which is okay, cause she more than has a better view of the world right now sometimes.

Oso: My son;s early interest and dating fills me with dread now. Wiggles having a dating life might kill me.

Oso said...

Beach,
I hear you loud and clear.I don't know how it is with sons,but for a Dad when the world starts to take your little girls away-it's hard.

Mothers understand and identify and can talk girl talk with their daughters.With a dad-our daughters mean the world to us.They will always love us,but it's hard to accept when we become just a part of her life,rather than the most important person in her life.

Me said...

Miss Wiggles is my kind of girl!

Great story, BB.

:)

Rhiannon said...

Sometimes you got to learn to be a bit "sassy" in this dog eat dog world...especially if your of the females species..even as a child..especially if your a girl.

I'm quite impressed with your stories of "Ms. Wiggles"(what an adorable nickname!) and how she stands up for herself at such a young age. This will serve her well as she grows into the so called "adult world". Believe me I know. I was a lot like Ms. Wiggles when a child (but a bit more shy) and I held my own. It has served me well since being a divorced woman for so many years on my own (couldn't have any kids so no family)and you got to learn to be a survivor...but a well rounded person also..and a "spiritual warrior"...I think Ms. Wiggles will definitely be one...in fact I think she already is...she faces fear well...good! But you be a good dad and protect and watch her now!

Yes, Ms. Wiggles is doing fine and you will see how proud you'll be of her when she's grown up and on her own. Not that I'm going to tell you you will just love her teen years. Nah...I won't go that far!..;o)

Adorable story Beach Bum.

Rhiannon

lime said...

ok, i burst out laughing at the close of this story. that was just priceless. she's a piece fo work but it's cool that neither of the kids bore a grudge.

E said...

LOVE this story!!!