Yesterday was a strange day. Lincoln's in this super fun 'NO' stage. Everything is met with a resounding no. "Lincoln are you hungry?" No. Then he walks over to eat. "Hey buddy, how are you doing?" No. It's not just the word though. It's the way he says it. It's loud and forceful and down right rude 90% of the time.
I wish I was one of those Mother's who had a legitimate reason for disliking their kids new found voice. The type of Mom who would say something like, " It just breaks my heart, because I feel like it's a cry for attention or maybe he's in some type of pain." But the honest truth is, I just find it annoying and sort of bratty. You kids obviously hit the emotional jackpot with me as a mom. Ha. Yesterday I found myself sitting there nursing Emmett and having a highly intelligent argument with a not even 2 year old. It went something like this.
Me: Linc you need to sit down and eat
Linc: No
Me: Are you done eating?
Linc: No
Me: Okay well then sit down. If you don't sit down, I'm going to take your food away
Linc: No No NOO!
I stand up. Linc runs over and sits down
I sit down. Linc runs over to me
Linc: I want more
Me: You have to finish what's in your bowl first
Linc: NO NO NO. MORE!
Linc starts crying
Me: Linc, you don't cry because I tell you no. Either stop crying and go eat or go to time out.
Linc: NOO! NOO! NOOOOO!
Linc goes to time out.
Noelle: Linc's gonna be in time out all day.
Me: Probably.
And in that moment I had an epiphany of sorts. Today I did not want to be a mom. It was going to be a long hard day. Full of time outs, tears, and loud No's. So I decided not to be.
I let you guys hang out in the play room all morning. Eating chips and cookies and switching between Noelle's favorite show, Sofia the First and Lincoln's favorite show, Dora the Explorer. Then, I put Lincoln down for an early nap and Noelle and I made cupcakes. After which she was promptly returned to the play room and watched even more Sofia the First. Noelle, you actually watched so much TV that around 3 pm, you turned it off and said " That's enough, no more TV."
After Lincoln's nap we played this amazing game where I laid on the floor and pretended to be asleep. You guys climbed all over me laughing and saying "Wake up" and " It's morning time." And I would lift my head for a sec then say "Night Night" and lay back down. Mom of the year over here.
When it was time to get ready for bed, Noelle had a little bit of a melt down. It's possible that it had something to do with the no nap and 2 cupcakes, 5 cookies, bag of chips, corn dog, pizza diet she had been on that day. But who can really tell?
Whatever the reason, it was obvious that just as I didn't want to be a Mom that day she didn't want to be a child.
And I get it now. Sometimes we just don't want to do what we are supposed to do. Sometimes we just want to sit on the couch, watch TV and eat like we've lost our minds. Maybe it even extends further than a want. Maybe sometimes we just NEED to be completely in charge of our own lives. No matter the age.
So today I make a promise that if you three cut me a little slack and let me just be reality watching, junk food eating Jenny sometimes then I'll let you guys be... well, whoever you want Noelle, Lincoln, and Emmett sometimes. Deal? Deal.
