Two of the moms in our play group got together and hosted a fabulous Halloween party today. It was complete with games, songs, crafts, snacks, and even a hay ride! Cole and Rhys were in costume (a dragon and a bumble bee) and I even dressed up like a cow. They had games and snacks. Cole was a raging 2 year old and I struggled to get him to participate. We took pictures and when the toddlers' attention spans deteriorated, we headed up for some snacks.
We went outside to a trailer that was covered in hay and hitched to a John Deer riding lawn mower. Cole was so impressed and so pleased with the prospects of riding behind the tractor he had tunnel vision. We rode down the street a few times and then stopped in the front yard where the kids picked a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch that was set up. The pizza wasn't quite ready so we went for another ride and then headed inside for lunch. Cole continued to be challenging and his temper reached a boiling point when he tripped and caused his pizza slice to hit the floor. He always is temperamental when he makes a mess or drops something and this time, he struck me with both hands rhythmically as he shouted, "I WANT MY PIZZA!"
I took a deep breath and began to collect all of our things. We got in the car and I told him that when we got home, he was to get in his seat at the table and wait for me to fix lunch. When he was done with lunch, he would take a nap and there would be no toys or shows. I turned the radio off and we rode home in silence. He didn't utter a word until I reminded him of what he did and reminded him that he was to get no television. To that he replied that he does get tv. I ignored him.
Sure enough, when we got home, he went straight to his seat and waited for his lunch. He ate it all and then took a decent nap. He went without television and would say why he couldn't watch as the day wore on.
We got through the afternoon and I cooked mushroom, asparagus, and spinach risotto for supper - of which Cole had none. He eats what I make or he eats nothing. This time, he ate nothing.
I bathed the boys and when Chris got home, I went for a walk.
It was a hectic day and as I walked I thought about all of the houses in the neighborhood. They are all boxes full of happy, sad, angry and crazy. I looked into the sky and as the sun started setting I reflected on all of the happy, sad, angry and crazy out there and my little world is so insignificant in the grand scheme. Cole will have days where he is impossible and we will get through those. Life would be easier if he behaved himself all of the time but where is the challenge in that? As I turned onto my street, I took a deep breath and prepared to walk back into my box of happy, sad, angry and crazy...with HOPE.
We went outside to a trailer that was covered in hay and hitched to a John Deer riding lawn mower. Cole was so impressed and so pleased with the prospects of riding behind the tractor he had tunnel vision. We rode down the street a few times and then stopped in the front yard where the kids picked a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch that was set up. The pizza wasn't quite ready so we went for another ride and then headed inside for lunch. Cole continued to be challenging and his temper reached a boiling point when he tripped and caused his pizza slice to hit the floor. He always is temperamental when he makes a mess or drops something and this time, he struck me with both hands rhythmically as he shouted, "I WANT MY PIZZA!"
I took a deep breath and began to collect all of our things. We got in the car and I told him that when we got home, he was to get in his seat at the table and wait for me to fix lunch. When he was done with lunch, he would take a nap and there would be no toys or shows. I turned the radio off and we rode home in silence. He didn't utter a word until I reminded him of what he did and reminded him that he was to get no television. To that he replied that he does get tv. I ignored him.
Sure enough, when we got home, he went straight to his seat and waited for his lunch. He ate it all and then took a decent nap. He went without television and would say why he couldn't watch as the day wore on.
We got through the afternoon and I cooked mushroom, asparagus, and spinach risotto for supper - of which Cole had none. He eats what I make or he eats nothing. This time, he ate nothing.
I bathed the boys and when Chris got home, I went for a walk.
It was a hectic day and as I walked I thought about all of the houses in the neighborhood. They are all boxes full of happy, sad, angry and crazy. I looked into the sky and as the sun started setting I reflected on all of the happy, sad, angry and crazy out there and my little world is so insignificant in the grand scheme. Cole will have days where he is impossible and we will get through those. Life would be easier if he behaved himself all of the time but where is the challenge in that? As I turned onto my street, I took a deep breath and prepared to walk back into my box of happy, sad, angry and crazy...with HOPE.
