by Esther P. Chase

Kids Being Kids

I should have searched www.chains-and-charms.com for a baby chaos sterling silver or 14kt gold charm for a charm bracelet. It would have been an appropriate addition to my charm jewelry collection. Sterling silver charms or white or yellow gold charms could have encapsulated the hectic environment our life had become since the birth of both Stevie and Elizabeth. If we were lucky, Steve and I had a peaceful hour together before we went to bed. Come 7:00 am, the chaos would start again. I remember the day Stevie got into my sterling silver and gold charm jewelry collection. He was almost five years old and had been exploring while I was busy with his sister, Elizabeth. Thoroughly delighted with himself, he had run into the nursery with my beloved charm bracelets, jumping up and down. Of course, I immediately retrieved my treasured silver charm bracelet charms and gold charms for a charm bracelet, and at the same time, had to placate two crying babies. After I calmed down, I realized their total fascination with my charm bracelets.

For the next few weeks, stories of charms took the place of the usual bedtime tales. They were amazed as they realized, I too, had once been a baby and a little girl. I took this opportunity to show them the charm bracelets that we had started for them. A manly Stevie wasn't too thrilled about his charms bracelet, but he did seem to understand the continuity of the tradition of our family charm bracelets.

I am still amazed at how easily I accepted smudged fingerprints everywhere, a kitchen floor sticky with baby food, and toys always underfoot. I would tell myself, "Everything can be polished and scrubbed after they go to bed."

Time did its inevitable march, and it didn't seem possible that Stevie would be going to the first grade in the fall. He was delighted; I was dejected. It had been a while since we had talked about our charms bracelets, so I was shocked when, out of the blue, he asked if we could go on the Internet and search www.chains-and-charms.com for a school charm for his charms bracelet. He was delighted when he found a school bus charm. After realizing his new and mature status as a schoolboy, Stevie decided he would no longer be called Stevie, but would forthwith be addressed as SP (short for Stephen Peter). I hoped this phase wouldn't last too long and I resisted the urge to order an "SP" charm for his charms bracelet.

Elizabeth was a sweet tempered child. All the attention on Stevie, or rather SP, didn't seem to bother her, but she was annoyed that he got a new charm for his charms bracelet when she did not. It was times like these that the mother became the negotiator.

Stevie's first year of school had gone well, and Elizabeth would soon be in kindergarten come fall. Already, Elizabeth had chosen the schoolhouse charm for her charms bracelet, which would be added to her jewelry collection once she entered the first grade.

Chapter 11 - Anniversaries and the Kids Accomplishments