Masters of Manipulation

For a few days, we had to fight a good fight while Parker adjusted to The Big Boy Bed.

We have learned that there will be no new idea or change that occurs without some back-lash – kind of like the kick-back after shooting a gun.

Parker would try to hold me down on his bed, not wanting me to leave. He would hang on to me. He would lie on the floor and cry. He would scream, “Mommy, help me!” over and over.

All of this served to rake my emotions over the coals of hell, making me wonder, “Did we do this the right way?” “Is he ready for this?” “Are we cruel people for making him sleep in his room?” “Should I trade in the husband so the maniac can sleep with me?”

As if all of this wasn’t hard enough, Parker pulled out the big guns one night. I was holding him as he whimpered, getting ready to say good night. Parker reached his hand down to my stomach and said, “Mommy, I want back in your tummy!”

Ohhh. I melted. I felt so bad for him! He must NEED his mommy!

I know that other moms out there may think, “Hell no! My tummy’s the last place I want you!” But, is it strange of me to think that I sometimes want the same thing?

I thought to myself, Yes, Parker, I could have you in my tummy again warm and safe and tucked away, and we could both go lay down and go to bed.

Those kids, man. Masters at manipulation. They know JUST what to say to push the right button.

But, I’m no sucker. I didn’t let it work. I did what any other smart mom would do. I made my husband put him to bed for a few nights.

Now, I am again back at the bedtime duty without any emotional warfare going on. We are all sleeping peacefully in our own space with no more pre-bed battle cries or regression to fetus stage.

Until the next thing comes along, this parenting hurdle can be considered jumped.

Manipulation in Progress

Gratitude Abounds!

So much to be grateful for! My SITS day was wonderful! I am still visiting all the blogs. Whew! It may take awhile! But, I am happy to return the comment love and discover more great blogs out there.

I am also grateful for the fabulous Spring Break we’ve had! Our trip was wonderful, and we survived the car rides. Barely. But, we survived.

There came a time on every driving day when Parker would begin screaming, “GET ME OUTTA THIS CHAIR!!!”

My husband would roll down the window by my son and shout, “Go ahead, Parker! Just yell and get it out!”

Parker would just start wailing out the window, “AHHHHH!”

Then, we would join him, roll down our windows, and scream out the windows.

By the end of it, we would all be laughing, and anyone in a car near us would be very worried.

photo credit

When that didn’t work, I would strap a candy necklace to the maniac’s wrist, and we would continue on across the country like the idiots we are.

If that weren’t enough, I am also grateful to Nadya Booyse of Journey Keeper for giving me the Stylish Blogger award.


Nadya has a beautiful and inspirational blog. In fact, she just received another blog award in which she nominated some other inspirational bloggers, so head on over and check her out. I have received this award before and you can read about the secrets of my “style” HERE.

Now I must get to visiting blogs, and I will hope that there is a good calorie burn involved after all the Spring Break indulging.

No Thank You

We are dealing with some challenging behaviors at home to say the least. Our soon to be three-year-old has decided he’d like to find out what happens when we count to 3. I suppose he really enjoys this scenario because we have had to relive it over and over and over.

He finds out that he is sent to his room for a time out. Instead of going up there to SUFFER, he probably plays to his heart’s content, but who am I to actually think that parents have an upper hand when disciplining?

On a positive note, there is much to be learned from a two-year-old on how to handle requests that you do not wish to comply with.

For example, if you were to tell my son, “Put your toys away,” he would likely say, “No thank you.”

I am thinking I NEED to incorporate this savvy strategy in my own life.

For example, “There is a late meeting scheduled today to prepare for our next meeting.”

I could then say, “No thank you.”

Simple as that!

I am really excited about this. Why didn’t I think of this before? It should be all too easy to incorporate some two-year-old behavior into my work life. Everyone else is doing it, why can’t I?

Now, if only I could get my boss to count to three and then send me to my room. Alone. THEN we’d really be getting somewhere.

Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Crib

“NOOOO! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!”

I heard Parker screaming at my husband while I tried frantically to get ready for work. “Oh, shit,” was my only thought.

Every once in a while, out of nowhere, Parker wakes up on the WRONG side of the crib. When this happens, he usually DEMANDS that only MOMMY can change him and get him ready. However, getting Parker changed and ready is DADDY’S job while Mommy finishes getting ready for work.

We have the routine down to a science. It works. It is efficient and fast. It is predictable.

Except on times like today.

We did not have time for this.

By the time I arrived at work (very late), no one has any idea that I have already withstood the MIGHTY toddler tantrum. I have wrestled with an octopus and a car seat. My husband and I have taken multiple trips of STUFF to the car because The Mighty Toddler refused to put on socks and shoes and jacket. We have Had-It-Up-To-Here. I still needed to drop the maniac at daycare.

All it looks like to anyone else is that I was practically running through a snowy, busy school parking lot so I could arrive in my office before students at the bright and early time of 7:45 am. Who knew what teachers, administrators, and parents thought as I barely made it in time to hand out the morning behavior cards.

I hoped my child was settled in at daycare. I hoped my child was not coming down with something.

I made it in the school building.

Ready to help take care of other people’s children all day.

Whew.

Highs and Lows

Ok, people, I’m one post away from having my mother tell me she’s worried about me.

I really am fine, especially after coming to terms with the fact that I probably do need that extra 50 mg of Zoloft. Whatever.

Let me break it down for you. Some highs and lows from the week. It’s been a little all over the place round here.

Let’s start with the “lows,” so we don’t have end on a bad note and go to bed with a box of Kleenex (they really aren't that bad):

-Stomach problems. You really don’t want me to expand. They were my own stomach problems. You know. The kind you get every single time after your toddler has a weekend of throwing up and diarrhea.

-One day this week the devil hijacked my son. He was so rude. Tired, cranky. Had me fantasizing about hotels and stuff.

-Parent teacher conferences at work this week. Damn parents. Nah, I got nothing against parents, seriously, it’s just that it messes up our family’s schedule in a majorly annoying way.

-Feeling down about not losing weight recently. But, one can’t be perfect, huh? I guess I could try and run myself into the ground and continue to get up at 6:00 am to work out before work and then have the mental clarity at 4:00 pm to think, “No, I will not eat any crackers or, say, a bag of chips.” But, I just have not been able to do that this week.

-Work stress in general. All I have to say is that it has nothing with the dear students I work with. Love them.


Now, the “highs!” The stuff that life is made of! Excitement, gratitude, and reminders that “everything is going to be alright:”

-My biopsy result came back negative for cancer. It was an “atypical” mole that needs to be monitored. If it comes back, it will have to be removed again, but there was no cancer!

-The best thing about my biopsy results is that I know so many of you were wondering and care!

-My boy was only hijacked by the devil one day this week. The other days, he has been loving, putting his toys away, sleeping in his own bed, and mostly using his big boy voice.

-My boy gets speech therapy, and his vocabulary has really been increasing lately! For example, just tonight, I have heard him say brand new things like, “Delicious!” and “It’s on the coffee table,” and, “Wake-y, wake-y, hand off snake-y!” Obviously, we are proud parents.

-My husband has arranged a babysitter for tomorrow night. Funny thing is, he didn’t think I was serious when I said that I would like to just go to the babysitter’s empty house and watch a movie. I’m. Totally. Serious.

-My mom sent two of my grandma’s paintings in the mail to me today. I can have a piece of her, look at those beautiful paintings, and hang them with love and care in my home. When I took them out of the package, I told Parker that these paintings were painted by “GG.” He said, “I love GG.”

Supermom? No. Sucker? Yes.

I am such a sucker.

I have been disillusioned and entranced by the lure of letting my sweet, precious boy share my bed.

I sit here now. Exhausted. With a sore neck. And a strong desire for naptime to last at least six hours today.

He is so cute.

How could I resist?

My husband is out of town. Parker was sick for a couple of days with a stomach bug. I felt sorry for him. I wanted extra cuddles. I asked him at night, “Do you want to sleep in Mommy bed?”

He smiled, so sweetly, and exclaimed, “Mommy bed!” and proceeded to kiss me all over my arm and my face. He even threw in a good lick.

It was a lovefest. Love conquers all.

Well, let me tell you now. Love does not conquer all. Love does not conquer a too-excited-to-be-in-mommy-bed-toddler who wakes at 5:00 am jumping on the bed. Love does not make this child LAY DOWN AND GO BACK TO SLEEP. Love does not make this child USE HIS BIG BOY VOICE when he is tired and cranky and whining by 9:00 am. Love does not conquer all when this said child throws a fit because he can’t have cake for lunch.

Apparently, Mommy needs a little more discipline, than love, in her life right now.

Parker will be going to bed in Parker bed tonight.

And Mommy will turn off the monitor.