another few days of true tests...

2 year old molars are the devil! I forgot how awful these are. Maybe I do not forget, maybe Devin never really struggled with cutting them like Riley is. She is giving me a run for my money these last few days with the whining and crying and tantrums. She is sleeping like shit, not eating well and just plain old being a total pain in the ass. I do love my daughter, I do really-but man alive I am over this. Cut the tooth already. Whoever said raising kids was such a joy everyday was full of shit. Excuse the language, but come on...These last three days have been a real test to my patience and tolerance for all things annoying.

She starts out everyday in a crappy mood. I understand her mouth hurts, I do really. So I give her some orajel. She stands in front of her closet and pulls a 16 year olds attitude that she doesn't have anything to wear so we walk over to her dresser. She hates everything but some how manages to pick out a pair of shorts she likes. Will she allow me to put on the coordinating shirt? NO, she throws a fit and refuses. She really has been a pill with getting dressed. I had to hid the Mickey shirt since she has to wear it to a birthday party Saturday morning (a mickey themed party with requested attire.) I really do not feel like washing it again, so it stays hidden since Thursday morning when she wore it for a half hour before getting something on it.



sleeping now, can't she always be this peaceful?



Did I ever go into how she refuses to continue to wear something if she spills (anything) on it? That's right...water, juice, yogurt, applesauce, spit....anything. If anything touches her top or bottom, off it goes. She went through 6, YES 6 outfits yesterday because the moment something spilled on it she had to take it off. Her beloved Mickey outfit got dirty at breakfast so by 7:30 in the morning she already went through her pajamas and Mickey outfit. We went grocery shopping and she got chocolate frosting on her shirt and shorts at the supermarket so by 9 am we were done outfit 3. We went to a friends house to swim and I only put a bathing suit on her for the car ride since I was not battling with her to get dressed again. Of course she had to pee while we were in line at Starbucks, so I backed out of line and went in. Did she pee? NO, she did not. UGH that is a whole other story. So after swimming I packed for her a cute floral shirt with daises and matching yellow shorts. She threw a fit at my friend's house because she did not want to wear it. She eventually did but it of course came off after naps because she had to change into her afternoon ritual of cotton jammies being outfit 5. Those got dirty before dinner, then the jammies she wore for dinner got dirty so a third set was ready for actual bedtime. Now I usually can refold what she wears for a short time and put it back away, but yesterday she did manage to soil everything with staining materials so I was forced to wash everything.

So back to her teething. She has not officially cut her molars, but one is just about there. It is fully raised and just about to pop through. I gave her Motrin before bed but I do not think it is 100% working. She went down at 7:30 and around 10 started to whine in her sleep. Poor baby. I know it must hurt. She is just so Jekyll and Hyde now and I really want that to end. I want my sweet Riley back. The one who wants to snuggle and hug and play dollies. Not the one who cries when she spills water on her shirt, or when I ask her to pee before bedtime. You would think I told her she can no longer have B with the reactions I am getting at times. I want her to be OK with what I pick out so we can leave the house and not have melt downs with getting dressed. I still rule her and I will never let my daughter rule me. I have actually had to raise my voice to her these last few days and she just crumbles when I do since it is not a regular occurrence. I try and be patient with her and let her pick out clothes/shoes/snacks but a Mom can only stand there for so long while her indecisive 2 year old twiddles her thumbs.

Frank has to wake up tomorrow and leave by 5:30 for a golf outing. Here is to hoping I can fall back asleep after he leaves. I have to bring the kids with me tomorrow to get my hair cut and then straight to a birthday party in the morning. Riley should be happier than a pig in poop since she will finally get to wear her Mickey shirt to the themed party tomorrow. She has a Minnie dress that I was planning on putting on her, but I am thinking that will not be happening if she has anything to say about it.



running full speed



Unrelated news....we found a scorpion dead in the house a few months ago. No biggie...they are common out here. Well we found another one Tuesday, dead again, but second one in this season. We have been out here for over 4 years (April 2007) and have not seen any before this spring. I called the exterminator Wednesday and they scheduled to come out today. Billy came this morning and sprayed the downstairs and put 6 sticky traps down along with some special dust in the slider track. Gag. I was feeling more comfortable with the fact that he told me they are basic scorpions and not deadly to animals or kids. Whew. The kids and I were playing out front when I spotted a roadrunner in my neighbors yard! Yay how cool! I saw the same one Monday so now I am convinced it is our Horizon Mist resident roadrunner. I went in and got the camera and snapped some pics. Cute guy. Now I am feeling all great, got some good pics of our new neighborhood buddy, buy guy tells me the scorpions are not deadly...The kids and I go upstairs and they are setting the table for a tea party and Devin walks over to me and shows me a LIVE scorpion in the teapot. FUCK! I said "Holy Shit." and told him to get the land line and meet me downstairs as fast as he can. I transferred the thing to a Tupperware container and called Billy back. My day is now upside down again. I am afraid to do anything in the dark. They are nocturnal. Did you know that? I did not. I am afraid to walk around my house in the dark. I turn on lights everywhere. Tell you the truth, I am leery to go to bed without fluffing my covers. Billy came back and sprayed upstairs an put the dust in the window tracks. UGH. Can I please move back east?