Ah, well.
By this point I've totally made my peace that some days are better than others when it comes to raising kids.
Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours cleaning what can only be referred to as child grime from the car. As it turns out, it's much harder to keep a black car clean than I expected. I finally got the dirt out of the crevices and corners and off the seats and doors.
Today, I'm not at all sure why I worked so hard. The kids are in my car pretty much every day and even without food or drink, they seem to attract and collect dirt. Which they gladly share with any surface they come in contact with. But sharing is good, right?!? Harrumph!
So today, I picked S up from school and watched (both amused and horrified) as she managed to get as much dirt back into and onto the car as I removed yesterday. But, it's just a car, and dirt can be cleaned. Annoying, but manageable.
On the way home, S asked for a piece of gum. The kids and I have had some....differences of opinion about gum. Differences as in they want to chew it in the car and I'm not big on that idea. The reason I'm not so big on that idea is that the last time I cleaned the van, I scraped more than one piece of gum from the carpet and seats.
So, I've been really hesitant about the whole gum thing, but today I gave in and handed her a piece.
When we got home and S got out of the car there was no gum in her mouth. Uh oh. I found the gum a second later spread out nice and evenly on the seat belt buckle.
Sigh.
Several deep yoga-esque breaths later, I calmly explain to S why I am upset to be peeling gum off the seat belt buckle. S, never one to take such explanations well, takes umbrage to my speech and spends the rest of the day trying mightily to piss me off. Or so it seems from my perspective as she stomps into the house, demands a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and replies to everything I say for the next hour with "STOP TALKING TO ME MOMMMMMIIEEEEEEE"
By the time T comes home from school, I'm mentally exhausted. S, however, is doing just fine. She ends up in time out for sassing me and throwing her toys in anger. Oh, and for biting poor Toy Story Woody on the head. I'm sure he'd much rather have a snake in his boot. For real.
Her four minute time out took about 46 minutes because she refused to sit in the time out spot, then refused to stop kicking the walls, then refused to stop spitting. So on top of the eventful time out, she also lost all the toys she threw, hit, or bit for the rest of the day, got her coloring privileges revoked, and ended up going to bed about 30 minutes early.
R took her upstairs to brush her teeth and she fought him tooth and nail too. I hear stomp, stomp, stomp - 'I want Mooooommmmiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee' and then there she was right in front of me where she climbed right up into my lap when I held out my arms and let me snuggle her while she finally calmed the frick down.
I just don't get it. I really don't.
Maybe tomorrow will be better. Maybe.
2 comments:
Interesting.......how old is S?
She'll be four in March. She's in some freaky regression phase that I seriously hope ends immediately. My son didn't do this, so I am totally clueless as to what's going on.
I think I'm experiencing a little karma payback because I remember my friends daughter at three had this same sort of 'tude going and I thought, "MY child will NEVER get away with that" Yeah. Okay. Sure. Payback is a real kick in the pants.
We also just got back from the Grandparents, so there is always an...adjustment period. I'm hoping that's all this is. Sigh.
Post a Comment