Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Sunshine & Rainbows

I haven't been ranting much lately.  Have you noticed?  It's not because everything in my life is perfect.  It's not.  Part of it is that there are things I can't write about on my blog.  Part of it is that I really do try to focus on the positive, as much as possible, especially when it comes to being a mother.

I love being a mom, and I love spending time with Dylan, but I think you should know, things aren't always sunshine and rainbows.  Take Sunday, for example.  Jim was putting Dylan's new sandbox together while Dylan and I played outside in the yard.  Sometimes I wonder what my neighbors are thinking, as I hear myself yelling, "Don't throw that toy! It will break!... Don't dump water on my shoes!...Don't touch the hose!... Keep the birdseed in the birdhouse!..."

I really didn't want to spend the morning yelling.  I wanted to have fun, so I suggested a game of keep away after we played in the water table.  We chased each other around the yard, both of us giggling.  After a while, though, it was time for nap.  When I told him in 5 more minutes it would be nap time, he said nothing.  When the 5 minutes were up, I said,

"Okay, it's time to go in".
Dylan:  "No!  I'm not!"
Me: "Yes, you are Dylan!  It's time for nap.  When you wake up, you, me and Daddy will go somewhere".
D:  "NO!"
Me:  "Come inside... right NOW!"
D: "NO, I'm NOT!"
Me:  (Thinking).. Oh boy... I am hot and tired... I don't have the energy for this... Maybe I could build the sandbox?  (Looking over at Jim, who is trying to get the mismatched holes to line up)... Maybe not...
"Dylan, if you don't come in now, I'm going to carry you in LIKE A BABY, and you'll sit in time out!"
D:  "NO!"
(I grab him and try to wrestle a ridiculously strong 38lb squirming wet noodle into the house).
Me:  Great.  Now I am wet, dirty, and sweaty.  I'm going to need a second shower.  "Take your wet clothes off and then sit in time out".
D:  "WAH!"
Me:  Did he just say "WAH"?  He's mocking me?  At 3 1/2?  "DYLAN!  TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF!"
D: "WAH!"
Me:  Oh no, he didn't!  "You just lost books before nap!"
D:  "What?"
Me:  "I'm not reading you books before nap now".
(He took off his wet clothes, and threw them at my face!)
Me:  "DYLAN!  THAT WAS NOT NICE!  Now go sit in time out!"  Yes, a naked time out.  What would Super Nanny say?
(He sat in time out, and apologized.  Then, I told him we needed to go upstairs for nap).
D:  "NO!  I'm not!"
Me:  Are you kidding me with this? "If you don't come upstairs by the time I count to five you are losing treat after dinner!  One...Two...Three...Four...Oh crap... FIVE!  NO TREAT!"
(At that point, he scurried up the stairs and as I was putting on a diaper for nap, he asked...
D:  "Mommy?"
Me:  "WHAT?!"  Oh geez, I need to calm down.  "Yes, Dylan?"
D:  "What would be next?"
Me:  "What do you mean?  Oh!  What would you lose next?"
D:  "Yea."
Me:  "Do you really want to find out?"  Please don't find out.  Please don't find out.  I want to go to dinner.  I need to go to dinner.
D:  (Hopping into bed)  "No, that's okay".
Me:  (As I walked down the stairs)  "Sunshine and rainbows... Sunshine and rainbows"

8 comments:

Brooke said...

I think I could have easily written this ENTIRE post word for word!!!!
Getting my kids to come inside the house almost always results in tears from at least one of them if not BOTH. :D Love these days **big SMILE with clenched teeth**

Burgh Baby said...

Heh. The neighbors are thinking, "THANK GOODNESS I'm not the only one who has these conversations with kids."

Mary said...

Same thing at my house!
While I choose to write about mostly only the good stuff, with the occasional ridiculous stuff, that doesn't mean we don't have our days! Last year, around this time, my husband was traveling for work. I had just gone back to work and wasn't quite into the groove yet. Both of my kids were OUT OF CONTROL this particular night. I finally just put them each in their beds and let them scream. A few minutes later a neighbor called to ask if I needed help! I was mortified! ha ha ha
It's not always sunshine and rainbows here either......TRUST ME!

Amber said...

This is my life, only repeated. Day after day after day after day. My kids don't listen. I yell. My kids are bratty. I yell. My kids are mean. I yell. And then I feel like the worst mom on the planet. While I know your day was hard, I need to read things like this to realize I am not alone in my struggles. Strange how comforting that is.

Hope tomorrow bring you sunshine, and um, rainbows?

Elissa said...

oh, wish i could tell you it gets better ;-) i love it when MY 3 year old tells me "i'm gonna punch you in the FACE!!!" when she's mad. that's fun. yay for older brothers...not.

and i totally agree with burgh baby. and anybody who isn't thinking that doesn't have kids!

Lindsay said...

I'm glad to read that your life isn't all sunshine and rainbows either! My kids drive me CRAZY some days!!!!

The Girls' Mommy said...

I sent G to her room today. On the way up she screamed "I HATE YOU and I'm NEVER coming back down!"

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Actually, that seems like it went pretty well. It ended with him taking a nap!