Not what I expected

As I read through my post yesterday about how much we love Little...I started to laugh.  Sometimes when things are going good...I forget the reality of the situation.  I have gone back and read my "Pollyanna" version of our life before and it kind of cracks me up.  To think...one minute we are blissfully loving the unexpected surprise that we've been blessed with...and the next, wanting to pull him out of his classroom by his ear lobe.

Perhaps I should explain

Yesterday, was Little's Birthday.  I must tell you that we were very excited to celebrate with him because he is so excitable at this age.  He loves attention (he gets that from me) and he just gets so happy about things sometimes.

However...after writing my post, these are the series of events that happened.

Little wakes at 5:30am.  It is a tradition at our house for the entire family to wake the Birthday person up with a breakfast item of some sort and candle.  We sing happy birthday and let them open a gift.  From 5:30 on...all I hear as I am trying to down my first cup of coffee was...

"Mom!  Bring me my pop tart with a candle!  I need my Birthday candle!"

I literally chugged my coffee knowing it was going to be a LONG day.  I woke Big and Middle and then proceeded to wait ten minutes for them to get themselves into the hall ready to 'wake up' the already awake Little.  We sang, we watched him open the gift and then we went about our morning to get ready for the day.

I started to feel guilty because I wasn't planning on taking Little to school.  We had made special cupcakes and I wanted to be there to help him with his first time of passing out Birthday treats.  (Sharing his normal monthly snacks had not gone so well.)  So I made special arrangements to deliver the special candy corn cupcakes that I made for him.  First of all...He LOVES candy corn.  But thanks to a song on Nick Jr. called 'I don't like candy corn', he informed me that he did not like candy corn.  Great.

So we get to school and his sweet teacher has a paper Birthday crown for him to wear.  I suggested that he put up his backpack and come put on his crown so I could get a picture.

"I am NOT wearing that hat.", said Little

"Please?  For Momma?", I asked

"Nope.", said Little

"Okay well maybe you could just hold the hat for the picture.", said his sweet teacher

"Nope.  I am not holding that hat either.", said Little.

"Okay (teeth gritted and forced nice voice),I'll just leave my camera here and when you feel like putting on the hat, your teacher can snap a picture for me.", I calmly said...okay not so much.

"I am NEVER wearing that hat.", said Little.

Sweet teacher must have seen the anger staring to form in my eyes and hands so she said...

"Have a good day Mom!"

And that was it.

Why you little...Little.  I got up at the crack of dawn to finish these cupcakes that apparently you don't even like...and you won't wear the stupid Birthday hat?  What kind of ungrateful child are you?

And then I remembered.  He is 4.

One year olds are so cute.
Two year olds define terrible.
Three year olds...well no one likes three year olds.  They are still a bit terrible but mouthy too.  AND you have to potty train them that year.  That is just no fun in itself.
But Four year olds...Oh how I had forgotten that four year olds...they make their own choices. 
Reverse psychology no longer works.  Telling them to do it because I am the Mom doesn't work either.  Not even my pathetic puppy dog eyes and lip stuck out worked.

I am NEVER wearing that hat.

Well FINE then.

And you know what?  He didn't.  Sweet teacher got one picture and I am pretty sure she slipped the unfolded crown onto the table without him knowing.  Oh and he took the candy corn off his cupcake before he ate it. 

It is our job to appreciate our children for who they are and what they become.  We can guide them.  We can love them.  But we can't always have our way.  I wonder what age I was when I started defying God?  And yet, He is always there.  I am sure I said I would NEVER do something that He asked.  I am sure I decided I no longer liked something that He was a part of simply because someone else told me they didn't like it.  But He never turned away.  It is my job as Little's Mom to one, never turn my back on him and set an example as God would...and two, drink enough coffee in the morning before he wakes up to  handle his Little choices.  Oh Lord...be with me. 

Have a Blessed Day!
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