This morning my daughter woke up screaming for mommy. Her mommy was out garage sale shopping is as her usual Saturday morning ritual. Her time away with friends and adults.
When I went into my daughters room to get her up (she never leaves her room of her own accord) she screamed at me "NO, I want mommy". I replied "Mommy is not here, so you can just stay in bed until she gets back."
I stormed out of the room, waiting to get just out of sight to hear my daughter beg for me to return. Instead I hear her yell "SHUT MY DOOR!!", as simple and demanding as that. Remember, she is three. Well, rather than get upset about it. I did. What the hell. If she wants to lay in bed and wait for mommy. More power to her.
I left her in her room for over half an hour, and thought perhaps she had fallen back asleep. When I poked my head in again to check on her she said sweetly and pleasantly. "I want to get up".
She was sweet for all of the fifteen minutes as she drank her morning sippy and watched an episode of Caillou and it was back to being a little snot.
Doesn't want to eat, doesn't want to get dressed, a closed fist punch to her brothers face when she didn't like what he was saying. Like the title says, a Terror (yes, it deserves a capital T). She is not like this often. This is the exception and not the rule, but it was enough to start my day off on the wrong foot.
So I had to get out of the house, change the environment and perhaps the mood. We got pancakes and hash browns and Micky D's. Of course Braedyn threw a tantrum because he wanted to eat in the "Lunch house" and play on their play structure. Oh joy. The Micky D's play structure where the noise level exceeds OSHA standards for a safe environment. Thats what I want to do on Saturday morning when I am already in a funk. But I persevered and we drove to the new park and ate breakfast in the car in the parking lot. Then the the children transformed.
They were outside. They were playing with other kids. They were having a great time. It was windy as hell. Braedyn didn't care, but Emily sure hated the mist being blown on us by the sprinklers.
Mom met up with us so it was less stressful to track the kids in a park the size of Yankee Stadium and on this day seemingly as many people.
I sat at the bottom level of the play structure and Emily began running back and forth to me, giving me very wet kisses. Sweet and adorable and then she hid behind the pole and played peek-a-boo. Just twice. Just long enough for me to get this shot which melts my heart and makes it all worth while.
My little Terror is growing up. I love you Emily.
