Glass is Half Empty

When I dropped The Boy off he was growling. That was my first clue...which I ignored.

When the phone rang only 45 minutes later, I knew I was in trouble.

The preschool director regretted to inform me that "Our staff cannot be treated with this disrespect" First he wouldn't sit down in his class and when he was pulled out and asked what was wrong he kicked the director in the shins...TWICE!

After he came home, I repeatedly took his temperature...hoping that he was running a fever. Checked out his throat....maybe strep....All was wishful thinking. He wasn't sick....just sick of the system...sick of being told what to do...sick of the other kids not being nice to him.

Rarely do I quote President Obama, but dealing with this "is above my pay grade". To be honest, as a mother, I don't even have a pay grade. I have to do this for FREE. Walk into the director's office listen to the list of offenses, take my delinquent home, punish him for his deeds, return him to school the next day only to have the director open my car door during carpool and frostily (is that a word) tell me "we all have bad days". She was nice enough not to add "Your Demon child has bad days, too."

His future flashed before my eyes. He'd never get into private school. The kids at our local public school would lead him further down the path of destruction. His current school would not let him stay another year.

I am exhausted just thinking about motivating this kid for the rest of his life. I am not the cheerleader type. I'm a "suck it up" kind of mother not a "pretend you are not irritating the H E double hockey sticks out of me" kind of mother.

Let's be honest, life is easier for the Glass is Half Full types. How do I create that type of kid or am I stuck with the "I have no friends" mentality for the next 40+ years?

New sitter-I hope...I Pray...

I've booked a new sitter for next week.

I considered my option to fully disclose, but I didn't want to admit to myself let alone someone else that it is likely The Boy will say EVERYTHING that comes to his mind, that my kids may fight until someone bleeds and will likely compete with one another until at least one is in tears.

Instead, I asked how much experience she has....has she watched boys before....is she strong enough to send them each to their respective corners?

I figure I earned something like $2/hour and was responsible for dinner, baths, bedtime and more than once was the recipient of the upchuck of a sick kid. For $10/hour, the new sitter can go head-to-head with a four year old.

She doesn't have to come back. Right!

Running with Scissors...I mean with toddlers!

I see these women running with their kids strapped into the jogging stroller and I think to myself "When is the last time I've seen a Dad pushing his kids in a jogging stroller?"

I mean really, when you really think about it, the Moms you see are disproportionate to the Dads. How many dads really interrupt their workouts to take their kids along?

I see my neighbor regularly running along side the road with her two kids. I'm confident that their combined weight outweighs her. I mean, think of the strength! Not to mention the commitment to fitness and the manhandling that went into getting those kids to stay in there. My oldest never wanted to be in a stroller until she had a younger brother...then all of a sudden she thought she was missing out on something!

This is my plea....Husbands....watch your kids....give the mother of your children a break. There has to be a time for NOT multitasking....let this be the start.

Note: I am not talking to my own husband, since I do not work out-this does not apply to me.