Chloe and Courtney had to take a Speech summer course during the month of June.
One night, Chloe came to my room and explained, "I have to give a speech tomorrow. I have to talk about an invention. I have to come up with something - talk about why it is a good invention - why it should be made - you know?"
She stands next to my bed.
She waits.
She stays quiet.
She wants me ...
TO COME UP WITH THE INVENTION!
So ...
I begin to brain-storm.
My mind starts churning.
A bit of smoke begins to poof out of my ears.
I rattle off ...
"What about lamps with no cords."
She is not impressed.
"At least ... there needs to be cords in different colors - you know - designer lamp cords," I offer. "Cords to match the color of the floor - like wood color, " I giggle, "Or to match the carpet color."
She stays silent.
"How about colored kitty litter?" I am excited. "Like designer kitty litter - in different colors - to match your carpet," I smile real big.
She rolls her eyes.
"Like pink - to match pink carpet," I ramble, "Or blue - or purple - or gray - oh, no ... it already is gray - not gray - like red - like green ..." I can't stop smiling at my brilliant idea.
She sighs. "Who as pink carpet?" she is so negative.
"How about squeezable butter," I suggest.
"What do you mean?" she is curious.
"Like ... they have now for tomato paste." (*daughter gets a question mark above her head*) "They used to put tomato paste in cans - still do, I guess - but, they also have it in tubes now."
"What kind of tubes," she likes this idea.
"Like toothpaste tubes," I explain.
She scrunches up her face.
She walks away.
I say ...
"So what are you going to invent? Which one did you like?"
Not much response.
Then she says, "They all sound stupid - ridiculous," she is in a bad mood - hence the idea that we would let mom do the thinking for this project, but then ... we are absolutely not going to approve of any of the MAGNIFICENT ideas she might come up with.
On the upside ... I don't know what she decided on, but ... I was still yelling invention ideas out of my room and down the hallway, "Yes ... squeezable butter ... in different colors - YES - like pink and blue and purple ...... or Neapolitan - NEAPOLITAN BUTTER IN A TUBE ..." I yell ...... (*door slams shut to daughter's room*)
I am so unappreciated.