Thursday, June 2, 2011

Too Much

Benett was just way too much for me tonight. He had me outnumbered and he knew it... It wasn't any one thing that he did to get under my skin, it was everything he did.

As a parent, I remind myself (repeatedly) to pick my battles. I think there are two sides to that... while I have to choose what to let roll off my back and what to get whooped up about... but the offender also makes a choice about when to follow the rules and when to throw them to the wind.

Well tonight, Benett took every single solitary opportunity to take a jab at me... and when he couldn't get a rise out of me, he went for Ellie.

I knew it was time for a change in tactic when Benett said, "Oh God?" Now let me say, I try really hard not to say that... Sometimes it comes out "God! (long pause) Bless America." So let's just call this little outburst of mine tonight a really short prayer.

And as they always do, in time, my prayer was answered. I managed to get both Benett and Elle in their jammies without too much drama and we went down stairs to read. It was just what everyone needed. He was compliant, funny, agreeable and fun... that's the thing about Benett that makes his terror streaks so tough... he can be just a stitch and a tender lovable kid... basically the polar opposite of naughty.

You know, I've been through this all before, with Gavin. But I don't recall the terrible twos being this maddening. But just like the pain of childbirth, some things are better when you can't remember the details.

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