Something has got to be done about that child

Leave it to a three year old to take a good shot at ruining your day.

For the first time in my life I had to push a full cart of groceries and a screaming three year old to the front of the grocery store, past the president of the PTA, park it by the lottery machine and drag my children out. We sat for awhile as older parents smiled knowingly at me as they walked in and the three of us sat in the cart area while Carter screamed it out, slobber drooling and snot hanging from his nose to his chest and exiting patrons glaring at me. After not too long he quit and said he was done and agreed to go back in and we walked quietly hand in hand back to the full cart of groceries and I thought my parenting had been a success and then as I picked him up to put him back in the cart that same loud full blown screaming began again and I promptly told customer service I would be back after I took my child home and I left. He did not want to ride in the cart. I did not want him running up and down the aisles anymore.

I dropped him off at home and went back to finish my shopping with Anna. By the time I got home we couldn't make the recipe Kevin wanted for his birthday (and I couldn't find the short ribs because they are beef but I was looking in the pork section so I didn't have the meat anyway).

I went upstairs to check on Carter after putting the groceries away. He had fallen asleep on the floor. Right next to where he peed on the carpet. He woke up. The crying picked right back up where it left off. After I cleaned the carpet I gave him a bath where he splashed water everywhere at me and screamed the entire time. I drained the tub and removed all toys so there was nothing to splash. He wouldn't let me treat his eczema spots of course. Got his pajamas on (after being distracted to see the six deer in our backyard) and fed him a PB&J. This was the quietest he was all day. Then off to bed. He lost his priviledge to read a book because he punched me in my chest a few times. I repeatedly took him back to his bed about 30 times before closing the door and coming downstairs reluctantly. With all the paint supplies still strung about the room it's a dangerous chance to take.

I ordered chinese food for Kevin's birthday dinner and went to pick it up. Got home and realized they didn't give us our crab rangoon. Back to the chinese restaurant to get it. Meanwhile back at the house Kevin explained to Carter he can hear him walking around upstairs and if he hears footsteps he's going to get a spanking every time. That happened once and then he seemed to stay in bed.

After dinner I lit candles on the cake and Anna and I sang Happy Birthday to Kevin. She wrote the cutest stuff on his envelope of the card she picked out. It said

To DADDY
How Old (arrow down)
33
*heart*

Super cute.

So I'm desperate to "fix" my three year old. He's just too tired but it takes me two hours to get him to go to sleep. It perpetuates the cycle. He won't take a nap on the weekend unless I were to drive him around in the car late in the afternoon for extended periods of time. He can even self diagnose himself. He'll say "I'm tired."

Then just sleep!!

Sorry today was probably not the happiest birthday Kevin!