children, mommyhood

All That Manners

WFAM

When I picked up Full Speed from school, he didn’t exactly get a glowing report from his teacher. Apparently there was some sort of scuffle over the ownership of a chair that resulted in him grabbing his classmate and choking the this classmate in anger. So……, what exactly does a Mom say in response to that?

The teacher explained that Full Speed responded to discipline appropriately and quickly doled out the proper apology to his classmate. She said that the ‘angry’ incident wasn’t enough to impact his overall report for the day. He still had received a blue snowflake (red is bad) as his final behavior mark for the day. I left feeling that although Full Speed had acted delinquently, that at least he was a polite delinquent.

Since it was Grandpa’s last night here, T.Puzzle, Full Speed and myself took him out to dinner one more time. I was a little shaken up about Full Speed’s bad report at school and I was feeling less than prepared for dealing with any antics from my boys. When the food arrived and the waiter placed Full Speed’s cheeseburger in front of him, I said, “What do you say, Full Speed?” My hope was to elicit a ‘thank you’ from him. Again, I am trying very hard to raise a polite delinquent. Instead, he shouts, “YAHOO!”

At least the waiter had a sense of humor and cracked a smile. Thankfully, tomorrow will soon be here and is another chance for me to teach my guys manners, reinforce my ‘no-choking’ policy and attempt to always, always, try to find the silver lining in the cracks of this crazy façade we call motherhood.

bad day, children, mommyhood, tantrums

6:00 Sharp

WFAM

Since I have been slacking in many areas with the boys because I have been sick; I wanted to get back in the swing of things by preparing an actual meal for the boys. They have had so much processed, fast food lately I’m worried that they may turn into chicken nuggets.

Full Speed determined he ‘didn’t like’ the main course of pasta, peas and turkey sausage and proceeded to fight me tooth and nail about ingesting it. Little T.Puzzle decided he didn’t want raisins (I know you are impressed by this gourmet side dish). Not only was he passionately against eating the raisins, he didn’t even want them touching his plate and screamed and cried because I ignored his tearful requests (trust me, the kid’s had raisins before AND lived). Then he decided he didn’t want the beverage I chose for him. He was in and out of time-out like a revolving office door on a busy day.

After several threats, Full Speed got his act together (a little bit) but T.Puzzle spiraled deeper into his abyss of contempt. He was mad that Grandpa was sitting in ‘his chair’ in the living room. I told him to get over himself. Grandpa offered to move but I drew the line. T.Puzzle was simply not going to get his way.

Since time-outs in the dining room corner were not making a dent in his hysteria, I changed tactics and moved him upstairs to his room. He was already at a level 10 and spewing snot like a fountain. I had to sit on the other side of his door to keep it shut. He was beside himself.

After ten very long and tense moments, he calms himself enough that I can engage him in conversation. “If you stop crying and pull it together, you can come downstairs. You need to apologize to Mom first,” I say.

“Sorry! Sorry!” he bleats over and over.

He’s reasonable enough now that I think I can take him downstairs. No sooner than we cross the threshold of the living room than the level 10 tantrum commences. I call ‘uncle.’

It’s 6:00 sharp do you know where your kids are? I know one of mine is smack-dab in the middle of his bed and won’t be seen until morning.

humor, mommyhood, self care (or lack thereof)

Three Sheets

WFAM

I had started to function a little better. I no longer had body aches, my fever was gone and I was sleeping less during the day. All signs that I am on the road to recovery.

Yet, it didn’t feel quite good enough. There still was some missing piece of good health that I was unable to find. My ears and throat were still sore and aching and I fatigued quite easily (some call that motherhood).  Oh, and I had acquired massive cold sores that now covered my upper AND lower lips (ouch!). They are super-attractive, too.

When I woke up and told Mad Dog that I was better but would most likely need another three hour nap that afternoon, he said enough is enough. Off to urgent care you go. Yuck.

I was so out of it I forgot my license when I registered at the walk-in clinic’s front desk. My subsequent evaluation by the P.A. determined I had no serious infection. Instead, my sinuses are seriously messed up. They are so swollen they are putting pressure on my ear canals and throat, thus the incessant pain. I was prescribed a nasal steroid and an OTC decongestant with pain-reliever. Give it a week the P.A. said, and see how it goes.

I hope it goes well. Since Mad Dog is basing my health on how much wine I’m consuming (which as of late has been none), I hope that soon I am back to my old self and three sheets to the wind.

children, mommyhood, tantrums

Make It or Break It

WFAM

We decide to go out to eat. My Dad is in town visiting and he requested a meal of fish. We had an overall successful family outing to Tae Kwon Do so Mad Dog and I felt confident the boys could handle a longer drive to go to a slightly (very slightly) upscale fish market for lunch.

We arrive and everything is going somewhat smoothly. We are seated waiting to order and Full Speed is playing with some hot-wheels cars while little T.Puzzle is coloring.  The boys are full of motion but are being quiet and entertaining themselves. I am taking this moment to attempt to read the menu. My Dad says, “Is he supposed to be coloring on that?”

I look up and see that little T.Puzzle is coloring all over the white linen tablecloth.

“You color on the paper, NOT on the tablecloth!” I say emphasizing my point by dramatically gesturing where and where not he can color.

He looks me squarely in the eye and without dropping a beat, colors on the tablecloth. Now, the waitress is at our table waiting for our order. She sees me lean in and threaten T.Puzzle with edgy vehemence. I realize that I must come across as a scary, intimidating Mom but I power forward. The waitress doesn’t know of T.Puzzle’s recent, defiant behavior and I can’t let the judgment of the world stop my discipline.

Once the order is complete, T.Puzzle again starts in with the tablecloth coloring. I hastily grab his crayons, toss them on the table and yank the kid out of the booth. I tell him he is heading to time-out. As I walk toward the front I grab his legs and heave him up in a disobedient ball. He is yelling and kicking and all the other fine diners are looking at us like he is a complete psychopath. I get him to the front and realize in my haste I left his coat and hat at the table. Normally, in Florida you can bypass the coat and hat but we are in a cold snap. It’s thirty degrees and overcast. He’s been sick so much I realize I’m stuck inside for the duration for what I am certain is going to be a doozy of a tantrum (it reached a level 8). People from the bar were peering at his ruckus, the hostess was politely trying not to make direct eye contact with me and I wanted to throw a tantrum of my own (I was thinking only a level 3 or 4).

Is it just me or am I the only Mom in the throes of a massive power struggle with her child? Full Speed started in on me when he was a year and a half.  T.Puzzle has since picked up the slack when Full Speed finally began to fight me a little bit less. I know my time is coming that every day and every situation won’t be a knock-down, drag-out battle of the wills.

I don’t think I will make it.

bad day, children, life in pictures, mommyhood

The Sick Card

WFAM

I know that motherhood is not always a cake-walk. You have to suffer through the bad to get to the good stuff. My challenge today is that as of lately with little T.Puzzle, there only seems to be a whole lot of suffering (for him and for me) and very little good. He has been sick on and off since Thanksgiving. I’m keeping him home again from school hoping this will help get him back on track. He is clearly feeling surly. The only thing that consistently is keeping him happy are DVDs of Thomas the Train. If he is not watching Thomas he is mad, defiant and dropping level 9 tantrums all over the place.

I don’t know what to do. I’m trying to be extra patient and not fight him on every behavioral misdeed (which I normally do, just ask Full Speed). At what point does the sick card lose its validity? Now I have a feeling that since I have given him an inch behaviorally, he has taken a mile, a town, a city and possibly the whole state of Florida.

The only thing I know for certain is that when this kid is 100% healthy, he best prepare himself for some serious attitude readjustment courtesy of his mother.

Get well soon.