in our little neck of the woods it got down to 29 degrees last night. there was frost on the ground/cars this morning. in parts of the area snow flakes were seen yesterday. (i know, crazy after the awesome weekend we had). it is only supposed to get up to about 56 degrees today. the girl's fifth grade classes are in trailers. all very nice, running water, electricity, etc. but they have to go into the school (which means being outside) to go to lunch, the library, p.e., etc.
this morning she's getting ready and i poke my head in her room. she's wearing short sleeves. so i said, hey sweetie, it's going to be cold like it was yesterday, you need a long sleeve shirt on. but mooooommmm (you know that voice) i can wear a jacket. me--you need a long sleeve shirt on. her--i don't have any. me--yes you do so please put one on.
then i go about getting myself ready. the hubs is sitting in our room drinking coffee when the first attack occurs. she huffs into our room and throws one long sleeve shirt on the floor. i can't wear that one because when i raise my hand my belly shows (i've talked to her about not wearing shirts when she's outgrown them). ok i said, find another one. she huffs back into our room with a long sleeve shirt she's worn a million times. this one is see through. (yeah, cos i buy her see through clothes). ok, find another one.
while i'm in the bathroom combing my hair she artfully tries to manipulate the hubs. my hubs is a very very astute man, especially when it comes to sizing up people, reading between their lines, etc. however, he is finding himself in uncharted water with the girl. why? because he is logical and is trying to apply logic and it's not working. it's like spock trying to understand deana troi (shut up, yes i've watched star trek). he asks her, honey, i don't understand why long sleeves are such a big deal. her, daddy, you wouldn't understand (she's near tears, knowing that softens him up) because you can't think like a young boy any more. the hubs is confused. he tries to reason with her, talk to her, it's not working.
she finally puts one on and is pulling at the sleeves and acting like it's burning her skin.
the hubs, meanwhile, is flabbergasted.
i come out, she's still fuming and acting like the shirt is attacking her body. she's mouthing off about the shirt, running it into the ground. i finally say, look, in this instance you aren't going to win. i am the parent, we are not discussing this any more, you're wearing a long sleeve shirt and that's it. finish getting ready now.
the hubs is still confused. he's thinking there is something more going on than the shirt. is there a bigger issue? this isn't too far off base because the girl does often fake left and complain about one thing when there's actually something on the right that's really the issue. however, this time it is nothing other than the fact that i told her to wear a long sleeve shirt. i tell him we could have argued about it another 20 minutes and nothing would have changed. there was no reasoning with her at that point.
as we're walking out the door i say to her, you know, even though you've been a brat this morning i still love you. she doesn't comment. we get in the car. halfway on the way to school she starts. you know, even though you're being a witch i love you and i can't believe you're making me wear a long sleeve shirt. girl, we aren't discussing this anymore; it is done. she huffs something else. i'm serious, one more word about it and you'll start losing allowance. she huffs and sighs and throws a kleenex. girl, that's a dollar. whhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaattt? what i can't do ANYTHING? not if that anything involves attitude. we finished the ride in silence.
ah, yeah i love starting my mornings like that.
hmmm, there is a pattern here i think. while the girl has her bad days more than once a year, i have noticed that the truly crazy weeks that involve things we can't see to fathom are march related. remember the flip flop incident last march?
one thing that astounds me is the way these moods hit us from out of nowhere. last night she was all affectionate, dancing with me in the kitchen, sitting on my lap before and after dinner, and then wham--this morning's episode. hmmmm, perhaps now i'm seeing a bit of how the hubs might feel with me? i know one of his fears is that (due to my gene pool) the girl will be bi-polar.
2 comments:
she is just testing you guys. that would be my guess. stay strong!
i'm trying to stay strong. i had hopes it would have improved by end of day...but noooo. i got the monosyllable answers from her when i picked her up at daycare. she was moody (for no reason i could discern) pouting, picking fights w/ the boy. finally about 7:30 she came and layed with me on the couch. i asked her what the deal was considering she'd been evil all day and she said she was sorry and snuggled up to me. go figure.
CK
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