Flying Quesadillas

Thursday was ROUGH. Why is it that just when you think you have it all together, things completely go the opposite way? Is that sort of an offshoot of "Murphy's Law"? Wednesday I must admit I was feeling pretty darn great about my Mommy Multi-tasking skills. I did tons of laundry, organized the basement, straightened up the house, had a great day with the kids as far as good behavior and charming little anecdotes go AND I went to the gym and worked out. All this while Nick is away at a business conference. I rocked mommyhood Wednesday. I don't mean to brag. But perhaps I should have been more cautious in giving myself even silent kudos.....because the Parenthood Pixies got me back.

Woke up Thursday to Liam being so full of green snot that he could not even drink a bottle comfortably. Now he has been battling a cold for a while, but I am not a 'call the doctor, quick' kind of mom so I have been suctioning, running a cool mist humidifier - everything the books (and now the doctor) said to do. Well obviously it did not work. Poor guy was miserable. So I called and made an appointment to bring him in. Then Kate woke up - the first words out of her mouth, in a deep and muffled voice were 'Bobby, I hab to bwow by node'. More green stuff. Whoopeeee! Called the doc and got her in at the same time as Liam.

Long story short - kids are fine. Just a cold. No antibiotics, keep doing what you are doing. Blah blah blah. But it does not make the kids any more comfortable, poor things.

Actually, as the day progressed, Kate was totally fine cold wise. Almost like it went away. Until the tantrums. It was like someone took my sweet daughter and replaced her with an evil clone. Some samples:

Me: Kate, what would you like for lunch?
Kate: Quesadillas, pwease.
Me: Oh! Such nice manners! Quesadillas it is then!
(I make the quesadilla and present to Kate.
Kate: (Wailing) NOOOOOOOOO!!!! NO QUESADILLA!!!! NOOOO!!!!
Quesadilla goes flying across room.
Kate: I want applesauce!!!!!!!!!
Long talk about not throwing food etc. etc. By the way, I am talking. Kate is wailing.
Kate: APPLESAUCE!!!!
Whole routine on how to ask for things nicely. Etc. Etc. Then I cave and get the applesauce. Present kate with applesauce.
Kate: (Wailing Again) NOOOOO!!! NO APPLESAUCE! I WANT A QUESADILLLLLAAAAAAAAA".
Quesadilla and applesauce are placed firmly aside while Kate is removed for a time out.
Sniffle. Snarfle. Snot.
Kate then devours her quesadilla AND applesauce.

This kind of thing happened all day. Forgetting her manners and being downright demanding and bratty on top of things. Totally ignoring any instructions from me whether it be 'please pick up your toys' or 'no you may not bury Liam in stuffed animals while he plays on his floor mat...they are not loving him, they are hurting him when there are 15 of them'. It all
came to a head at bedtime with Liam crying and needing his nose cleaned while Kate totally flipped out and refused to:
A. put on her pajamas - she ran around half naked screaming
B. wash her hands and face before bed - she flung foamy soap bubbles across the bathroom while doing that gutteral, oh-my-gosh are they breathing cry
C. crawl into bed - she did that alternating stiff as a board, limp as a noodle routine that little kids are so awesome at.

I felt so helpless!!!! I am sure I was a sight to see. Trying to strike a balance between firm discipline at this total craziness and also knowing that she was tired and sick and she was not knowing how to handle it all. Also trying not to scream my own head off. The hysterics began afresh when, on her "good girl chart (which we do every day) she got a big "X' instead of a "good girl sticker".

It all ended with Kate falling limply into my arms, exhausted by not feeling well and from her dramatics. Sobbing that heaving, trying-to-catch-one's-breath-end-of-a-tantrum Cry. Arms viced around my neck and soaking wet tear stained face buried in my neck. Sobbing 'Mom-(inhale)-my-(inhale)-please-(inhale)-sing-(inhale)-me-(inhale)-a-(inhale)-bedtime-(inhale)-sooooong.

One verse of her favorite bedtime tune and she was out cold. Bless her little heart. Then it was off to Liam who mercifully cooperated with his bedtime and even gave me some smiles and giggles. It is the teary hugs and the baby smiles that ALMOST makes me forget about flying quesadillas and soap and ear-piercing protests. :) They are more than worth every bump on this road.

In the words of Scarlett O'Hara - "Tomorrow is another day".