Hand Frenzy

Well, this weekend, I had to introduce Lucy to my hand frenzies.

But before I tell you about it, I suppose I should introduce you to my hand frenzies.

It is no secret that I move in a rather rapid fashion.  Tad oft times says that he feels like he's living with a tornado.  I have always been like this. The upside is that I get a LOT done.  In one night I can return voice messages, make cookies, prepare tomorrow's meal, and clean the kitchen.  At work I am a whirlwind--a grant report, e-mails dashed off and two or three projects finished all in one day.  The downsides are there too of course.  I'm not always that good at focusing my energy on one thing at a time.  And of course, hand frenzies.

A hand frenzy is when I'm moving too fast for my own good and I go to pick up something (somehow it often seems to be a beverage) and my hand moves in a seemingly uncontrollable, frenzied fashion causing the item (usually a beverage, remember) to go flying and tumbling through the air, raining liquid (or whatever else) down upon me and whoever the unlucky person sitting near me might be.

One time, I was sitting at the table with a friend of mine, just sipping coffee and talking calmly.  And to her it appeared as if I took up my mug and threw it into the air, spilling coffee all over my head.  I tried to explain that it was a hand frenzy. Perfectly logical. But it was hard for her to hear my explaination over her laughing.

So Saturday, I had a beverage next to me--Lucy's cup of water.  We had some friends for dinner and while the kids played upstairs we sat and talked in the living room.  I was gesticulating a bit wildly perhaps. This gesticulation culminated into a hand frenzy which sent Lucy's water careening off the table and on to the floor.  I was having such a nice time conversating that I just sort of looked at the puddle and went on listening and talking.  When Lucy returned for her water, she was quite upset to find that she had soaked her socks in a puddle of water on the floor and that the water on the floor was, in fact, HER water.  She sat down on the floor and cried with the utter injustice of it, as I tried to explain hand frenzies. 

She was not interested to hear about hand frenzies, however as big tears rolled down her face and she cried, "Why did you spill my water!"  Tad came to the rescue telling Lucy that "accidents happen" and asking me to perhaps grab a towel to mop up my mess.

All ended fine as I replenished Lucy's beverage, and now she knows about her mother and the hand frenzy.  She is soooo gonna love me when she's a teenager.