Everything's under control

Paul's out playing cowboy at Cowboy College in Arizona this week. It was a gift my family and I gave him when he graduated from PT school a few years ago, and he finally found the time to go!

Mom's here with me this week to help out.

Monday started off great but ended with a car seat screamer who ended up puking all over herself in the car in the midst of her screams.

The screaming started when she wriggled her arm out of her car seat and she saw the look on my face when I discovered it. Then I pulled the car over. And got out. And went around to her side.

Louder screams. Cries.

I buckled her back in, and tighter. This led to an amazing symphony of screams and cries, and heavy inhales until the gurgle of vomit...a pause...more screaming combined with gurgles. She rode home that way.

Yay Monday. Yay car seat booger head. Oh how I love our cozy rides home.

At home, my mom meets me and my puky toddler at the door with bloody thumbs. Both of them. She underestimated the power of our cutlery. Looking for bandaids. Off to Walgreens for bandaids and bug bit itch stopper for Anna.

My return home from Walgreens meets a toddler who had just slipped in her own mess and bumped her head. She cried and was fine, but the large size of the knot and the fact that soon she'll be going to sleep told me we should get it checked out at the ER.

Ofcourse she turned out fine and did remarkably well at the ER. Even the bump is gone.

But all this week she has been a Terrible Two. I am admitting it. Just a few weeks ago, she was perfect and happy. Then as each week goes by, she gets more and more rotten. Oppositional is the key word, complete with a rainbow of sassy vocabulary. Everything is NO and everything is a struggle. I can't even express the patience I am drawing from within myself this week. I do believe my mom is in awe and at one point blamed teething.

No. But now won't those final two bottom molars be great fun when they DO come in?

And silly me, I thought we'd be one of those parents who got away with minimal Terrible Two's. Don't laugh. It happens. I've read about those parents. Probably the same parents who had the easy baby.

One thing I keep telling myself is (other than the fact she picked a fine week to become a terror with her dad gone) the advice I gave at my friend's babyshower last week (ironically). Everything comes in phases. Good and bad. When it all starts falling apart, just tell yourself it's temporary and that the good phase will come again in time. Just deal with this phase. Even though it has made you 15-30 min late to work each day this week.

My mom decided to pick her up from school today. Mom just called. Anna won't leave school. What should she do? This is not new. I just happen to have more tricks up my sleeve to get her to leave. Mom hung up and is giving it another shot. Stay tuned because I'm sure you'll want to see how this evening ends.

Uh oh, mom just called...she got her into the car. But the screaming is just as severe. I'd better go...

Good times. Car seat. This is a C O N T R O L issue, folks.