God, Give me patience

I have so often heard parents’ talk of the “terrible two’s”…..So when Jake was two I was expecting a change from his happy easy-going self.  It didn’t happen. I often would say “we got lucky, a good baby, and a pleasant two-year old.” Just like anything, as soon as you say it out loud you jinx yourself. He stayed a great two year old, which I am still thankful for, as that is when baby brother Jimmy came into the picture. If I had a terrible two year old and a newborn I may have had to be admitted.

Jake turned three in October; still things were going pretty smoothly. He  has an exceptional vocabulary and speaks very well so I think the frustration that comes with NOT being able to articulate what they want when they are two or brand new three was something we by-passed.…….However, WHY has no one told me about this three-year old stage, or for my little goober three-and-a half stage?

He really is a good boy, and for the most part many people don’t see these ‘fire-breathing dragon’ three year old moments that he has. Thank goodness! He can be the most loveable, cuddly, kindest little boy.  But then in the blink of an eye when he asks for ‘cocca puffs’ and we don’t have any, I wake up the little monster that must live in him and it takes over his body. He is instantly furious that I don’t have whatever he is asking for at that second….even if I do have it and WAS going to give it to him but needed a minute he is upset….but God forbid I have the item and just  say “no.”  They say “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” I say “Hell hath no fury like a three year old not getting his way!”

The fury behind his words “You are NOT my friend, MOMMY!”, “I don’t like you anymore, MOMMY!”, “You are NOT being very nice, MOMMY!”, “you need to learn how to share, MOMMY!” all of these with a deep frustration and anger. It doesn’t hurt my feeling, I know he is testing me…..but some days that test gets pretty hard, mommy is ready to throw in the towel! The littlest simplest requests that he asks and doesn’t get the answer that he wanted or in a timely enough fashion will spark a fire in him.

Then as quick as it started he will calm down and is back to the sweet Jacob that I know, and love.  He is never violent, he actually never even yells or gets frustrated with Jimmy, it is just me and daddy.  The tantrums get old but on a good day are pretty infrequent. However….. Can anyone tell me how to stop the whining??????

That voice, that whining voice, this annoying half-cry whiney voice that he uses make my ears bleed.  My husband and I are constantly says “STOP whining!” People pay lots of money for these ‘how-to get rich quick’, ‘How-to get out of debt fast’ seminars…..I would pay BIG money for ‘How-to STOP the whiney voice.’ I am hoping this is just a phase and will be a SHORT phase.

I don’t like to complain about the behavior of my children because I know that every little kid (and adult) has good days and bad days.  But after a weekend away with the boys at a family wedding and staying in a hotel room I warrant a little “vent time”. 

We are at the wedding and Jake asks for a piece of cake. I say yes of course, and he eats it. He later asks for a second one, I said yes (it was a family wedding, and I didn’t want to deal with the meltdown)……not knowing that my hubby had already given him a second piece. By the end of the night and the different family member’s that gave him a piece I think he may have had 5 pieces of cake…..with bright teal blue icing no less.

This wedding was for my hubby’s side of the family and it was only 7:00pm and my boys were starting to fade, so instead of dealing with two VERY crabby boys I told my husband to enjoy himself and I would take the kids back to the hotel and put them to bed. (I know, wife of the year…hopefully my award shows up soon.)  Jimmy likes a paci to go to sleep with, but I had lost the one we had. So now I have to load two tired little guys up, go to Walgreen, get a pacifier, load them back up to go to the hotel. SUPER! I bring two wailing kids to Walgreens, I grab the last pacifier that they have and go to check out….Where I wait for close to 6 minutes before anyone comes to check us out, when she finally gets to us she said “sorry, I didn’t see anyone was waiting.” I am not usually rude, but I am sure my look gave me away. I wanted to say “you didn’t have to SEE anyone waiting, I am pretty sure the people at the Walgreen back at home can HEAR we are waiting, as my children’s screams are like sirens they are so loud at this point.

So we are now back in the car and on our way to the hotel. I unload the kids and the diaper bag and all the other items we accumulated from the day and head in to the hotel. We get to our room and I give them a bath (because I am a clean freak, and they we crawling all over the reception hall) and get in jammies and lay them in our ONE king sized bed.  They both fall asleep quickly, “Fabulous!” I cautiously transfer Jimmy to the pack n’ play and changed into my jammies and lay down. It is 8:30 and they are both out and for the first time all weekend I can rest……Silly mommy, I spoke to soon.

Jake wakes up and starts screaming, I am frustrated because he is going to wake his brother, so I get close to him to hold him to try and calm him down.  “A mother’s touch is amazing” as soon as I pick him up he projectile vomits ROYAL blue icing, ALL OVER!  (“yay, I love me life!”) He proceeded to throw up three more times, I mean it was EVERYWHERE!…..so then we got ANOTHER bath and new jammies and he finally calmed down and fell right to sleep. Pretty much in time for me to change and lay down when Daddy got back to see “how our night was?” haha

At the end of the day you know you are a mom, when you have been repeatedly yelled at throughout the day, been chased with boogers, pooped on, picked up countless toys, been thrown up on, climbed on, and pretty much pulled apart and still in the blink of an eye you would give your life for that little human. 

There is no love like a mothers love.