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Monday, March 28, 2011

i got nothing

So both my babies woke up sick. One hacking and coughing in the middle of the night...for three hours...and I am sick too...which means whiney-ness all around...which is where we are at...

Ugh. I am no good at head colds. Really, they suck. Neither is my four year old, apparently. He reserves a special level of whiney for the occassion. I want juice NOW. And if you dont get it for him immediately he starts screaming. Its lovely.

Four year olds are interesting creatures - delightful, imaginative/needy, whiney - all rolled into one powerhouse of a little body. Well, mine is at least.

He tells me he is having "A MISERABLE DAY" if I tell him he cant have a Tootsie Pop for dinner (thank you dada for bringing home not just one, but a WHOLE BAG)

little man's own portrait of his knight guy...
He calls names now. I talk about "using lovely words" ALL DAY LONG, to no avail. I send him to his bed "to think about using lovely words" and he pops out and an hour later calls his sister "stupid boopid." His trick is to make up swear/mean words. He heard the name "moron" on Sword of the Stone (thank you Disney) as soon as we outlawed that word he immediately started calling me "boron" or "schmoron" or "storon" (He just called me that last one for suggesting he go to the bathroom instead of dancing around the living room with his legs crossed.) Maybe that is the trouble with four year olds. They start outsmarting you. So then we have to talk about "using lovely tones of voices," the message of which gets totally lost. 

Can you tell I have a head cold? My thoughts are coming out all muddled.

I mean, the thing is he goes from this to then "Mommy, I love you more than the stars in the sky and all the planets - even EARTH - smushed up together and piled on top of each other." And it seriously is a pendulum, back and forth ALL FRICKING DAY. Exhausting.

Its like, testing, testing, testing...and I try SO HARD to be even-keeled, taking it all in, not letting it get to me. I know that is my job. To be the steady one. The adult, as it were. (HA HA.) But, when one's throat is sore and head is throbbing crabby demands to reattach the playmobile knight's face guard to his helmet while you are trying to do the dishes get...OLD. Really old. FAST.

Okay, so he is sick. But that doesn't account for last week. My other thought is that it is an end of winter cabin-fever kind of thing. Maybe?

Okay, I am sick, forgive the whining.

But seriously? Mothers. Tell me. Its a phase, right? This too shall pass, and all that, right?

Okay, little miss is screaming at me for an orange and little man needs the face guard reattached...again.

Fun times I tell you, fun times.

5 comments:

  1. We are right there with you Sara...so not only yours!!

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  2. Sara, it's a phase. It will pass. Beth and I were just talking the other day about things like this and I asked her if she remembered particularly tough memories seared into my mommy brain and she had no idea to what I was referring. It was comforting to me that she wasn't seared by what I thought were REALLY HORRIBLE AWFUL NO GOOD VERY BAD days!

    So, what does that tell me? It reminds me not to sweat the small stuff. If you're not feeling good get a book, snuggle in front of a movie. Listen to books on cd...whatever it is you guys like to do. The dishes and laundry can wait (I'll let you in on a secret, I don't think we get graded on dishes and laundry in the end!) and just be. They won't remember anyway, but you'll feel better about it all. Lol.

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  3. I read an awesome book on discipline called "don't make me count to three!"... it dealt more with the heart rather than the actions- the whole wanting to use the moron word rather than just using that specific word. :)

    Wow 4 sounds exciting... and I thought almost 2 was hard... My parents survived so thats my hope some days.

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  4. My little guy is 5 and this past year, he's been the king of mood swings. So we've been trying to figure it all out, and I'm guessing at several possible motivations. Sometimes he's totally doing it to see how we're going to react, sometimes he's trying to see if he can get his sister in trouble, sometimes it's a symptom of a greater issue (our move, new house, etc.), and sometimes it seems like he's trying out emotions to see how they feel. You know, like when they're first learning to talk and they say a word over and over again to get the "feel" of the word as they shape it in their little mouth. Well, sometimes it seems like he's really savoring the experience of righteous indignation or disappointment or hysterical laughter. Like he needs to try the limits of an emotion, both for himself and to gauge the reactions of everyone else around him. So for the most part I can stay calm and ride it out, then there are times when, after 12 mood swings in as many minutes, I need to end the experiment. " There, my love, now you have learned the limits of what Mommy can handle." Valuable lesson for everyone! LOL!!!

    So I guess what I'm saying is that I think it's a phase (LORD, I HOPE SO!!!), and just like anything, it's both complicated and amplified by stress, fatigue or sickness.

    And I think there are conversations to be had with the kids, too--that as much as you're there for them, you're the rock of patience and constancy--you're human, too. Mommy gets sick and tired and crabby and needs rest, needs help. It's not going to be all that forthcoming from a sick 4-year-old, but it's good to visit the topic!

    I wish you rest and good health!! :-D

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  5. maureen - good luck :) we can do it, right??
    tammy - thank for hope from the other side! this too shall pass.......
    beth - sounds like a good book! and yes, its a whole different world from two!! the same kind of struggles (power, emotions) just bigger really...you will do great!
    tracy - i have thought that too, the testing of their own emotions...(funnily he often tells me "not to be dramatic" when i get in his face to "please PLEASE be quiet your sister is sleeping, etc. etc" its like really, I AM dramatic??? lord.
    and yes, we totally have had that conversation. often about quiet time. "kiddo, mama needs a quiet time too! so no, i will not play chess with you AGAIN." thanks for the good words...

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