Down To Earth

Something else from the weekend:

On the way to Houston I got pulled over (if you call pulling into a gas station, the cop following and turning on his lights *after* I stop at a pump, being pulled over, but whatever) for having a bracket around my license plate. It's illegal in Texas, but not in Louisiana (that I know of) which is where the vehicle is currently licensed. I'm guessing the cop was bored. He gave me a warning, thank goodness.

If I ever get around to finishing the posts from our vacation last August, you will understand the significance of this; this weekend Happy took Kiddo to buy his very own, kid sized putter. They proceeded to spend tons of time putting golf balls in Happy's office while we were visiting. Kiddo LOVES golf - LOVES it! He played more rounds of putt-putt on our vacation than any kid in the history of the world. He would have slept on that course if we let him. Anyway, it was a big event and something he's been talking about all week. Yesterday I had to run to Hobby Lobby to pick up something for my business and we drove past Academy.

Kiddo: "Mommy that's where Happy and I got my putter. Academy"
Me: "Yes, I know."
Kiddo: "Mommy, Happies can play golf and kids can play golf and daddies and Grammies too."
Me: "And Mommies?"
Kiddo: "Nooooooo, Mommies can't play golf!"
Me: "They can't? Why not?"
Kiddo: [reluctantly] "Ok, Mommies can play golf too." [then excitedly] "and Aunt Addies and Uncle Wesses and baby brothers..."

...gee thanks kid. ;)

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I had an extreme low parenting moment the other day. We were playing in Kiddo's room. He has been doing this thing lately where if the baby wants (or in Kiddo's mind appears to want) what Kiddo is playing with, Kiddo will hover over the toys or gather them up in his arms and cover them with his body. He does this a lot when they are in the tub together - Kiddo will collect all the toys he *might* want to play with and hide them in his arms so Port can't get them. It absolutely, positively drives me up a wall and it is one of the things I fuss at him about the most. Mainly it bothers me because over half the time Port isn't even trying to get the toys - Kiddo is just being a selfish butt about it. {I know I'm not supposed to call him something like that, but it's how I feel about him when he behaves that way} So anyway, we were all playing in Kiddo's room, and Kiddo built a Wall-E and Eve out of wooden blocks. I was so proud of him - they both looked like perfect representations of the characters (as perfect as one can get with basic wood block shapes). I wanted a picture of it, so I told Kiddo to leave it there while I ran to get the camera. I was seriously proud; just beaming at his creativity and craft. I got up to get my camera, and Port turned from what he was doing and started to crawl after ME. I was leaving the room and he didn't want me to, so he was going to follow. Typical Port. So I walk into my bedroom where my camera was and I heard a big crash. I ran back into Kiddo's room and he had literally thrown his whole body on top of the blocks because he thought Port was going to get them. He crammed them all up under his body and screamed at Port to get away.

I

was

furious

To say the least. There was absolutely no reason for it. Port wasn't anywhere near him, nor was he going after the blocks. Of course Wall-E and Eve were crushed and so was I. I know it seems like a petty thing to be upset over, but I really wanted to get a picture because it was just that good - and it just infuriated me to no end that once again he was pulling that maneuver in reaction to his baby brother.

My stellar parenting skills prompted me to shut Kiddo up in his room, telling him that if he couldn't get used to the fact that he had a brother and that he was going to have to find a way to share his toys, just like Port shares his toys with him, then he could stay in his room, by himself all day and keep all the toys to himself. I told him that no one was going to play with him because he couldn't share so he could just be alone. All day. And I closed the door.

Well the worst punishment for Kiddo right now seems to be playing by himself. He wants people around even if they are not playing specifically with him, so this particular punishment was pure torture. I shut the door to his room, and he banged on it and screamed for a good 30 minutes. I was so mad I couldn't even see straight, and I needed the time out more than him.

The whole thing was ridiculous really. So very mature of me. sheesh.

I mean, I know the boys are going to squabble. I know there are some jealousy issues. But I just wish I could make Kiddo understand that Port is just a baby and that he should show him some tolerance. I know it's a lot to ask of a 4 year old who up until 9 months ago was the center of the universe, but honestly, he does a lot better than most older sibs I have seen.

I just want things to go perfectly all the time. Is that too much to ask?

I was asked recently if I use sarcasm.

So that was my stellar parenting of the week. Hopefully I can manage to keep myself together for the rest of the week.

Yeah, right.

Until,
D ;)