Angry tot

Yesterday, the weather was very nice, so even though I had a bunch of work that I needed to do, I decided that we would work in the yard.
I forced invited the children to join me in the front yard flowerbeds.

"What are we going to do?" CJ asked.
I answered "We are going to pull weeds, and plant some flowers."
CJ shook his head, took a step backwards and said "I don't pull weeds."

I then explained to him that he DID indeed pull weeds.

We pulled weeds for quite a while.
And just so you know.............. I. Hate. Weeds.

Weeds are evil!

Evil. Evil weeds.


While we were working , Max decided that he would like to try out his new tricycle. Brielle put a helmet on him and sat him on it. For a while, he had a ton of fun just pushing it around with his feet, but then Brielle showed him how to pedal, and when he finally figured that out, he was speeding all over the driveway, incessantly ringing the bell.
His helmet kept sliding down over his eyes and he couldn't see where he was going.
At first we thought this was the reason that he kept on driving onto the lawn, but after a while, we figured out that he had no clue how to steer. He would just start pedaling as hard as he could, ride straight onto the grass, then cry until someone came and picked up his trike and put it back on the driveway.
Brielle finally took pity on him and taught him how to steer, then he spent the better part of the afternoon riding in a big circle on the driveway.

We worked on those darn flowerbeds forever. Our neighbors across the street have immaculate flowerbeds. So do the neighbors on either side of us. Beautiful, meticulously manicured lawns and flowerbeds.
Oh, did I mention that none of those neighbors have children?

We make sure that our lawn is mowed once a week. And watered.
Really, I think we should get some sort of a prize for that.

We got most of the area weeded, and even planted some hollyhocks. By then, I was tired, and I could tell that I had pulled some muscles that would be getting even with me for the next few days.
The kids were still full of energy so they played on the trampoline until dinnertime.

Soon, it was time for the kids to go to bed. Max didn't have a nap, so he was extra tired.

And he was MAD!

Do you want to hear why he was so mad?

He was mad because I went into the bathroom and didn't let him come in.
Then he was mad because he wanted me to go to the bathroom again so he could flush for me,
and I wouldn't.
I know what you're thinking. I'm such a mean mom because I won't go to the bathroom again to make my kid stop crying, but I was done, empty. (Plus, I wasn't going to give in to his crying)

He threw the biggest tantrum of his life. He wouldn't stop crying. "Mom go potty! Mom go potty."

His siblings offered to go instead, but, no, it had to be Mom.

I took my screaming, thrashing tot into his room to get him ready for bed. I looked at his droopy, teary eyes and said "Oh Max, it looks like you have sleepy eyes."
Max says "NO! I NOT HAVE SLEEPY EYES!!.......................I HAVE WAKE UP EYES!"

I stand corrected.

We also had a big issue with me taking off his shoes and socks. I was finally able to hold him down long enough to get some dry socks on him, but he insisted on wearing his shoes to bed.
He finally calmed down, cuddled with me in the rocking chair and let me rock him for a while. I sang to him, he played with my hair, and then he finally stopped crying. I thought everything was okay until I tucked him in his bed, and........................

He wouldn't give me a hug.

I guess he showed me.

So I showed him. After he fell asleep..................I snuck into his room......................


and


took off his shoes!