Mommy and Drew Day - Backfires

What started out as such a great Mommy and Drew day, ended so wrong.  The first part was great, but then I made the mistake of taking Drew to the Pumpkin Patch, where they had a few crummy, but expensive rides.  I told him he could pick one, but then after that we needed to pick out a pumpkin.

He took his one ride in the jumphouse.  Fine.  Problem was, the child saw more, and I told him no, that he picked his one and so that was all (at this a mother and grandmother standing nearby got quite the chuckle).  Well you would've thought I told the child he couldn't eat for a week, when the whining and crying began when I escorted him out of the patch.  The fit he threw was unlike any other I'd ever seen him throw.  I actually looked around to see if anyone was giving me those evil stares, you know - taking your plate number in case you're trying to kidnap this child who's throwing such a fit he doesn't want to leave with this "stranger".

After releasing him from the stroller  (I pat myself on the back for restraining him in there as long as I did), he went wild in the make-shift parking lot.  Ran around crazy refusing to get in the car.  I had to hold him down with a knee to get him buckled in, he was thrashing around so much.  Oh and the screaming and kicking on the way home.  I can't tell you how many times he told me "I don't like you anyways".  I just laughed and said "I feel the same right now".  Eventually I stopped talking to him because it was just firing him up more, and making me more and more crazy.  This was the first time I seriously debated beating my child (no need to call CPS - I never would - but I have to be honest the thought crossed my mind).

While he calmed down somewhat when we got home, look at what happens when you follow-through on your discipline and remove the naughty child from the pumpkin patch.



And this was MELLOW compared to the 10 minute ride home - which felt like an hour. I had to apologize to our new neighbor's Mom for my child's attitude.

Oh and here he is 15 minutes later too....



He got more and more incoherent as the time passed. Think he's tired? Little snot never napped, but Mama sure wanted to drink after this one!

The entire day wasn't a bust, I will share the happy story and pictures next week.  This was so over the top though I had to share my "joy".  Start to finish I'd say this tantrum lasted an hour.

I'm auctioning this child off - look at all the pictures throughout this blog before you say no.  He does have a sweet side (the booze is making me remember that again).

Saved Up for Moms?

I've mentioned this previously - but Drew's hit the terrible two's in full force. He's often in Time Outs for a good portion of the morning before heading to day care for offenses like not listening, hitting, or just throwing a good ol' tantrum because he doesn't like what we picked out for him to wear.

Well I've been in Denver for work this week, and wouldn't you know it - he's been an angel for Daddy and Ms. Stephanie. Seriously? Do you save all the crabbiness and whining for me? It's like he has a 6th sense for this stuff.

I was actually really looking forward to the trip to get away from it all - and was secretly hoping Drew would give Daddy a run for his money the way he's done for me (Daddy's been busy with stuff and hasn't really been around to see the mood-swings). My evil plan apparently foiled.

So do little boys save this up for moms? Is it ingrained into their DNA? Is there a cure?

It's a Phase Right?

What happened to my "angel" of a child? He is now an opinionated stubborn little boy.

Here are two recent examples - yesterday morning while trying to get dressed, he refused to wear what Daddy had picked (Captain America T-Shirt and Jeans). He was fine with the jeans, but the shirt just wouldn't cut it. Enter tantrum #1.

So Daddy picked a second shirt, it had cars on it - usually a hit, but not this particular morning. Tantrum #1 turned into tantrum #2, when Drew tried to plead his case with me in the bathroom while I was getting ready. In desperation I took him back to his room, and we sifted through the mountains of shirt options he had - I even pulled out his "Mr. Grumpy" shirt thinking that this occasion called for it, but NOPE. Needless to say I was quite happy to drop him off at day care yesterday morning, wearing the same "despised" car shirt that set off his mood.

Oh, he has these episodes where he MUST pick his shirt about once a week with me, this one was just over the top compared with most.

Case number two - on Wednesday evening while Dave was at softball I decided it would be a brilliant idea to walk from our house to Target (a 45 minute/2 mile walk - one way) so I can pick up some much needed wipes. The way there, no problem, Drew thought it was so fun to scream at all the passing cars and purple flowers.

On the way home it was another story. I didn't realize we were going to be gone so long, so I picked up a Pizza Hut "peckeroni" pizza for him at the food court so he could eat it. First mini tantrum, he no longer wanted it. Fine. He had goldfish for the walk home.

Since it was starting to get chilly with the sun setting, I put his jacket on. It worked for about 10 minutes, then enter tantrum #1. I'm not sure if the sleeves were in the way of his eating goldfish or what set him off. But rather than get the looks from drivers-by for not attending to my screaming child, I decided to take his jacket off. It was going to get dark quickly, so I could avoid the looks I was getting for letting my kid outside at that hour without a jacket.

Oh, and 1/2 mile from home, Drew threw tantrum #2 - he no longer wanted to sit within the confines of his stroller. AHHHHH so I had to carry all 25-pounds or so of him while pushing the stroller one handed. Do they give tickets to people who look like they're drunk trying to push a stroller and carry a toddler? If so, I'm sure I'd have been stopped.

Needless to say that was quite an adventure, and my spaghetti arms and legs are still feeling it.

Please tell me this attitude thing is just a phase and he'll outgrow it. He won't be this opinionated and stubborn forever will he? (Humor me if you have to)