Heather Thurmeier

Mike and I were talking tonight about the kids.  I told him about my day with K and her tantrums.  She’s turning 2 so they are to be expected.  Today she was at her finest with a couple of great tantrums, black pen on a white door, and mischief making instead of napping.  So it’s been a little stressful around here.  We came up with a nice little analogy about things around here right now.

Mike: “K is running full force into her terrible twos.  She like…a dump truck.”

Heather: “Going 50…in a school zone.”

Mike: “With a watermelon stand in the road…I feel like a watermelon!”

Heather: “Me too!”

This morning something happened that I knew was coming eventually, but always hoped never would.  A moment I was dreading.  A moment that sort of confirms what you’ve done right and wrong as a parent.  Possibly it’s a rite of passage as a parent, I don’t know, but it certainly feels like one.

I was trying to get the girls dressed before they watched a show because it’s a school day for M.  M got dressed pretty easily.  Then I moved on to K, the tricky one.  I asked her nicely to come over a few times (or like 10 possibly).  Finally, my stern voice seemed to propel her forward to me to get her dressed.  Half way through putting on her cute little undies, M looks at me and says, “Is K being a pain?”

I rolled my eyes a little and sighed at having been caught and repeated saying something a little less than nice about K, even if it was true and she is often a pain.  She’s my pain and I love her deeply.  So I said, “Yes, she’s being a little bit of a pain today not wanting to getting dressed.”

M looks at me, eyes large and innocent (with just a tiniest hint of rebellion).  “A pain in the ass?”

And there it is.  My shining moment as a mother, a teacher, a role model.  Oh, crap.  Well, it least she didn’t drop the F-bomb.

So today it was freaking cold outside.  And not just the usual cold, where really it’s not THAT cold, I’m just a wimp!   Nope it was really really cold.  And of course we are out of all the major things in the house.  I have little to no desire to go out in the cold, but I do have a desire to eat.  So we have to go.  I tell the kids we are going to the grocery store so come and get pants on.  It doesn’t matter that it’s cold in the house too (oil is too expensive, I’m not turning the heat higher that 71), they are the most happy when naked, followed closely by pantless.  They both flat out ignore me.  Selective hearing at it’s best.  Here’s the rest of the conversation/negotiation:

Mum: Come and get dressed so we can go!

M: I don’t want to go to the rocery store. (Turns and runs away from me)

K: Nooooooooo! (Turns and follows Meghan)

Mum: Yes.  Now come on, let’s go already.

M: But I really don’t want to go.  I want to stay home and play.

Mum: Well I don’t want to go either but we have to so lets just go and then we’ll come straight home and play.

K: Go train table!!! (Her vote is always to go to the train table at Barnes and Noble.)

Mum: Fine K, we’ll go get groceries then go to the train table then come home.

M: I want to get the car a bath (The girls recently went through the car wash with me and they though it was pretty darn cool that the car gets a bath.)

Mum: Fine groceries, car bath, train table, home to play.  Good?  Lets go.

M: But I really really really don’t wanna to go.

Mum: Well I really don’t want to either, but if we don’t go, we won’t have bananas or chocolate milk.

M: <sigh> Fine.

K: Nanas!!!!!

Off to the grocery store we go.  Kids 0 Mum 1.