It's One of Those Days

For some reason, the kids have gotten on my last nerve today! They were pretty decent this morning. We went out to eat and they were so good. And then we went to the mall and they were still so good! Until the shoe store. Payless had buy one get one half off. I was buying some sandals for myself and asked Ali if she wanted some new shoes. Her play shoes are looking pretty nasty. She said yes so we went to pick some out. She couldn't make up her mind. There were so many cute sandals and all she would look at were ugly, cheaply made shoes with cartoon characters on them. You know the kind, the ones with plastic characters that start to crack and peel off within a couple of weeks. Finally, after much screaming (by her) and threatening (by yours truly) she picked an adorable pair of sneakers and some socks with cat heads on the heel. When I was a kid we had pom-poms on the heel. Now there are animal heads.

So we leave the store and I tell her that she has to put on some shoes as she never put any back on after trying on the sneaks. She had elected to wear her rainboots this morning. Yeah, pink and purple rainboots with her yellow skorts. Real cute. She finally agrees to the sneakers but complains about them the whole time.

"I hate these shoes! When I get home, I'm going to take them off and throw them away! I don't like these socks, either!"

Fast forward to finally getting home. She took the shoes off but did not throw them away. Then starts the fighting with little brother. If one had something, the other just had to have it. The hitting. The yelling. The throwing. I was ready to run away. I even threatened it. They settled down. For a little while at least. What I really hate about these days is that I tend to yell and scream with frustration. That's not who I want to be. Where are the children I dreamed of while pregnant? The little girl who had ribbons in her hair and played oh-so-nicely. The little boy with vests and saddle shoes who was happy to ride a stick horse. The correct way.

I got a little girl who wants to wear dresses but hates to have her hair done. I got a little boy who is constantly trying to take his clothes off and throw them across the room. Who would take the stick horse and pretend it is a gun. With very realistic sound.

What is it with little boys and the guns and shooting thing? We don't play guns. We don't let him watch things with guns. So he improvises and shoots with anything he can find. Sticks, utensils, the magnetic 7 from the refrigerator, a raisin! I just do not get it.

I love my kids, yelling, hitting, fighting and all. I wouldn't trade them for the world. A ten-minute break would be welcome, though.