It must be a full moon...

All I can say is W-O-W. Tonight was the toughest night we have had in a looong time!! My kids were like possessed! IS there a full moon tonight? Um, no. OK, so maybe aliens abducted them and replaced them with temporary look-alikes? Hopefully my real kids will be back tomorrow. Yikes.

So, you wanna know what happened? Here we go...

It started this morning, when JP decided he didn't like the class snack I packed. (It is his week to bring snack to preschool.) He decided instead of animal crackers, he wanted to bring fruit cups. However, I explained to him that there were not enough fruit cups to take for the whole class. "Yes there are!" he yelled at me!  (Insert speech about how we DO NOT yell at mommy!) Then I explained "No, we need 12 to have enough for the whole class, and we only have 4."   "We have 12!!" He yelled again, holding up a pack of.. yep, 4!! WhAt wAs hE ThInKinG? Ahhh!  Yeah, that conversation went nowhere!

Then, after school, while I was feeding the baby, JP and PB proceeded to throw all the Legos and puzzle pieces out the back porch window!! WHY!?

THEN! While he was supposed to be outside picking up all those pieces, he proceeds to TEAR OFF THE LATTICE SURROUNDING THE BACK PORCH!! All in a matter of minutes, while I changed the baby's diaper.

The entire time he was screaming about me being "mean" for making him clean it up and how it was so "not fair!"

Who is this child? He can't be my JP, because my JP knows better than that! We have talked endlessly about making good choices and how bad choices have bad consequences, yet he STILL chose to act this way? I don't get it.

Needless to say, he got some consequences. I had planned for us to go out for mexican tonight, since we had a coupon for buy-one-get-one-free for tonight. I was all excited to take the kids out, since they love that cheese dip (and that I wouldn't have to cook!) However, after the day's antics, we had to cancel that. (Speaking of unfair, my kids make bad choices and I get punished?! Oh well. ) He also had to miss soccer practice to instead spend that time cleaning up his mess, and then he had to go to bed without his story time. I hated to take that away, and I still feel guilty about it. BUT, since losing soccer practice, dinner out and dessert didn't fix his attitude, what was left?

Then, PB cried herself to sleep. I hate that, too. But she was mad that we made her clean up, and that she didn't get dessert. After explaining her choices caused the loss of her dessert privilege, she proceeded to call me "mean mommy." That's not fun to hear. Especially twice in one night. :(

Meanwhile, HC is begging to play Donkey Kong, and I explain to him I cannot handle one more battle tonight. He says it won't be a battle and he will turn it off as soon as we tell him to. So, Daddy lets him play. When bed time rolls around and we ask him to turn it off and put his PJs on, he starts crying!!!

Yeah, I had to go for a drive.. (had to pick up dinner anyway, since I hadn't planned to cook!) ... a drive with the windows down and my rockin' praise music by Thief on the Right blaring. The loud music and wind in my face helped calm me down significantly. Then the memories came rushing in about why I love these darn kids so much. Ahh, yes. That's right. I totally love them.


Ugh. Here's to praying tomorrow is better.



PS: Have you had a day/night like this lately? How did you handle it? Was the day after better? 

"Hello" Said the Strange Little Boy

What makes him strange? That he said "Hello" to a stranger? Why does that make him odd? We thought it made him extraordinary. Not many people are that friendly anymore. Especially to strangers.

Yes, I am talking about my oldest. He is 5 and not shy in the least. How he came from his dad and me is beyond us! Anyone who knew us as kids knows we were painfully shy. But not HC. He will walk up to people with a big smile and say "Hello! I'm HC". Often, the people he just cordially greeted will look at him like he is an alien, and turn away. Sometimes they smile and say hi back. Always they get a look in their eyes of utter surprise.

Why is that?

Now, don't get me wrong. We've talked to him about stranger danger, and he knows all the safety rules abut talking to strangers. On this particular day, we were at the playground having a picnic lunch and another family sat at the table in front of us. He was with family and within arms distance from me, so he knew it was safe to approach the other mom. He took his two steps forward and smiled his biggest smile and said "HI! I'm HC!" and just grinned at her waiting for a response. She literally did a double take. Saw me kind of watching the scenario then smiled back tentatively and said "Oh, hello!" 

Chris and I just stared in awe of our son. He inspires me everyday to try and be more like him. Furthermore, despite the less-than friendly reactions received, he continues to do it! We worried about his sweet spirit getting broken, but actually, I believe it is growing! He's amazing.


What if we were all like HC? What if we were all just so excited to make new friends and be nice to everyone we meet that we could hardly hold it back like him? That would be a beautiful place.


Then again. I believe that's what heaven is promised to be =)

The Potty VS The Mommy

I think that Potty Training is the arch nemesis of mothers everywhere. Correct me if I am wrong. I can deal with just about everything else, but this Potty Training thing is KILLING ME!!!! There are a number of issues at hand:

1. How was I supposed to know HC was/is ready? He turned three a couple weeks ago, but we have been battling this for a year and a half! I started him when I was told I was "supposed to start potty training." I am afraid we started too soon, and now we have messed him up. For life?
   
2. The preschool says he cannot attend if he is not fully potty-trained. WHAT?!? Talk about pressure!!!  For me and for the little guy!!
   
3. I feel like we are going in circles, success one week then two steps back the next. I hear stories from friends whose kids potty trained in weeks, even days!!! But I tell you... we've been at it for a year and a half!!!

And so how exactly does a mom figure this out with her first child? How did you? I'd love any insight you can share!!!