Saturday, March 27, 2010

Tag, you’re it

(Let me preface this by saying in the scheme of things I know both my girls are GOOD girls, and were good babies.  Even at their worst they’re not that bad.  Mostly.)

Ever since the girls were tiny my husband and I would joke that they took turns being ‘the difficult one’.  It was like they had meetings late at night where they scheduled the weeks they would get to spend their time torturing me.  I have always appreciated they did at least take turns in driving me insane, because if they both decided to be DIFFICULT at the same time, I probably would have lost it many many many months ago.

When they were little Charlotte was definitely the harder baby, which in retrospect we realize was due to her reflux.  Once the reflux stopped at about 7 or 8 months she turned into the sweetest, most good natured baby.  Katie started crawling first and got into everything and drove me nuts.  Charlotte walked first and ran away from me and started boycotting the stroller.  Katie went through some difficult phases, mostly due to clinginess or separation anxiety.  Charlotte has always been sensitive to sounds and more easily scared by certain things, which caused some big time sleep issues at different times.

The last few months, my sweet Katie has been the one we have (in our heads only) thought of as the difficult one.  She loves to throw a good tantrum, the patented Katie Meltdown, and loves to do it at the most embarrassing places and times.  I think i wrote before that they often involved her removing her shoes.  To throw at me. And we went through a stretch where she had a good tantrum pretty much every single day.  I would warn people before we met them places, be prepared.  There may be flying shoes involved in our lunch date.  As well as loud screaming, kicking, crying, wailing and large numbers of gawking onlookers.

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               Katie, looking sweet.  Don’t buy it.

Slowly though, the meltdowns lessened and lessened, and I can honestly say it’s been a good couple weeks since we’ve really had one.  And Katie has been super sweet.  Happy and adorable and cuddly and just a good good girl. 

Need I say what that means?

My little Charlotte, my sweet Lala, who these past few months we’ve said “Well thank God Charlotte is so EASYGOING and GOOD NATURED!”  Yep.  It’s her turn.

One day last week i was getting them dressed, and Charlotte refused to put on the pants i picked out.  Said she didn’t like them.  Threw them at me (what’s with throwing things at your Mother?)  Freaked out over these stupid pants she’s worn ten times already. 

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   Charlotte decided she didn’t like her sweatshirt after all.

The next day, she had a complete freak out because i wouldn’t let her wear her sparkly light up princess dress up shoes to the park.  Now she has an opinion on everything she wears.

Speaking of the park, she decided she does not like kids.  I told her she IS a kid but I don’t think she believes me.  At the park she stands in front of the playground area and loudly yells “I don’t like kids!  Hi Boy!  I don’t like BOYS!  Aaaghhh, no KIDS!”   All these four year olds stare at her like she’s crazy.

Next, the toy stealing started.  Whatever Katie picks up, Charlotte yanks out of her hand.  Though in her defense she will say “Thanks Katie!” as she takes it.  And then she will loudly proclaim it’s hers. 

MY DOLL!  MY CRAYON! MY BOOK!

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   Katie, give me that ball.  It’s MINE! Oh and thank you!

This has reached epic proportions.  The front door is now hers.  MY DOOR! I OPEN IT!  MINE!  I find myself lowering to her level.  The neighbors heard me this morning telling her “NO it’s MY DOOR! And you know what, you’re mine too! You’re mine, Katie is mine, the van is mine, the doorbell is mine, the cat is mine, EVERYTHING YOU SEE IS MINE AND I.AM.THE.BOSS!

Good parenting skills there. 

Even her body parts she has to label as hers.  If I touch her hand she yells “MY hand!”  Her arm she yells “MY arm!  Lala’s arm!!  MINE!” One rainy day this week I took the girls to the library.  Before we went in I told them, you have to be very quiet in the library, no running, no yelling.  And for about half an hour they were pretty good.  But once they started getting rambunctious I tried to gently usher them out, taking each by the arm…. so of course Charlotte SCREECHED….MY arm! MY arm! 

Which to the casual observer sounds like “MY ARM! MY ARM!  Mommy is breaking my arm in half! The agony!”  The looks I got, you wouldn’t believe  Almost made me miss the Katie Meltdowns.  

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12 comments:

Gwen Papp said...

I have totally been driven to that too lately. "NO, it's MINE! Everything in this house is mine." Yeah, it makes me so proud. :)

Our life is a bowl of Barry's said...

SO hilarious....andI'm only saying that because I have SOOOO been there.....twice with the trade offs, 5 times total. You put the caps and accents in ALL the right places....I hope they get together and decide to be good at the same time for a bit. Of course it won't last long, but these are the stories/moments/memories we get to torment them with when they get older!!

Emily said...

I'm glad my girls aren't the only ones who have late-night conspiracy meetings to decide whose week it is to drive mom bonkers!

Adriane said...

My girls have been the EXACT same in taking turns being difficult. It has happened this way for us from the beginning. I call it the changing of the guard. It happens every 2-4 mos.

Your girls are soooo cute - love all the pics.

Susannah said...

Oh my gosh, I can only imagine! Do you ever get scared that they will both have a meltdown of epic proportions at like Target or something? I saw this happen yesterday=-this kid was screaming BLOODY FRIGGING MURDER and I was like "Oh crap, what will I do when Emma starts doing that? Beat them in the parking lot???"

Oh the things we learn as parents..........

Linda said...

Lots of that kind of stuff going on in our house too. Sal has perfected the nasty 'NO, MINE!' good times!

Amanda said...

LOVE the piture of them on the piano bench together. We just started on the "Mine" epidemic in my house. And the tantrums. And the throwing. Nothing boils my blood faster than getting smacked in the head with a wet washcloth or the corner of a book. And no fears about the performance your neighbors heard today. I yelled "Elmo is NOT going to dance with you unless you put pants on!! Do you see Mommy dancing naked?"~with the windows open

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness - how hilarious! And so familair. I guess was have all been there. Of course once we finally passed that stage with the triplets (and you will pass it, hang in there) -I now have a 17 yo who thinks all is his.. "my car".. "my cell phone"..
Great story!

JO
www.teensandtriplets.blogspot.com

Kathryn said...

24 years ago, when our younger daughter was two, I told her we were going to have to leave story hour because her behavior was on a par with that of jackals at the worst of times.

She had just gotten over a private parts yeast infection, which was totally disgusting in somebody that little, and so she yelled out, "I will go with you as long as you don't touch my fanny!"

Worst moment of my life so far.

Liz said...

Glad to hear that I am not the only one that has these issues! May the force be with you! :)

Vanessa said...

OMG - I first have to say I love your blog and have been reading it for awhile now...
I had to comment on the "mine" situation - just wondering if you've ever heard of the "toddler property laws" I think you'd enjoy them...
1. If I like it, it's mine.

2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.

3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.

4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.

5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.

6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.

7. If it looks just like mine, it is mine.

8. If I saw it first, it's mine.

9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.

10. If it's broken, it's yours!

Michele said...

I totally could have written this post!