Parenting is no bed of roses

Isn't "a bed of roses" a weird saying.  Who would want to lay on a bed of roses...Ouch!  Maybe it doesn't refer to the act of sleeping, but a flower bed or roses...either way it's a weird figure of speech.  The last week of parenting has been in no simpler terms hellish.  Someone replaced my sweet 4 yr old, who I'd been bragging about to Scott before the storm with a demon.  He is a changeling.  He has been whiny, sassy, tempermental, argumentative, and downright hateful 4 out of the last 5 days.  Now it doesn't last all day, but the episodes are memorable enough to pretty much ruin your day. 

Episode 1: A week ago last Friday.  This was really the gateway to it all.  He stayed up really late for a fun activity, and then fell asleep in the car. When we got home we had to wake him to use the restroom.  40 min later we finally had him in bed after much screaming, refusing to pee and put back on his underwear, and just the repeated use of the word "NO" we got him to bed.  Then no episodes for a week.

Episode 2: We are at some friends' house watching the Cardinals game Friday night.  We have stayed past C's bedtime, but nothing crazy.  We decide to not repeat last Friday, so we ask him to use the restroom before we leave.  Cue epic meltdown/refusal to pee that ends in him falling in the toilet, then refusing to put his underwear back on, then hitting Scott, refusing to leave.  He actually bit Scott in the head at one point.  More screaming.  He comes up to some consequences.  We did not punish him the week before b/c he had been so tired, but this time we can't let it slide.

Episode 3: Next morning things are fine. We go to soccer, and then we decide to take him to a soccer store to look at soccer shoes since he is enjoying it so much.  He argues with us, refuses to take off shoes he tries on.  I tell him we are not buying anything because of his attitude, and I have to carry him out while he whines, "But I want to buy something." 

Episode 4: That night we go out to dinner with Scott's parents, and he is just so disagreeable it is miserable.  "I don't want a drink--throw it away."  "I'm not eating anything."  "Don't take that away from me."  Just so much arguing, but he seems to pull it together after he eats--he always changes his mind.

Episode 5: We go for a hike that takes longer than anticipated.  He wants to play at the playground after.  We say okay, but he only has 5 minutes b/c I need to get home to make dinner--it's getting late.  The dogs and Scott stay in the car with the A/C running b/c it was so warm on Sunday.  I tell C his time is up.  He tells me he's never leaving, and he runs away to hide in the pipe tunnels.  This playground is a parent's nightmare for corralling an unruly child--there are too many ways to evade you--especially when you're pregnant.  I finally go to get Scott for help after pursuing him for 10 minutes.  I get him right as Scott comes to help, but he has to carry C kicking and screaming.  He sets him down to open the car, and C almost runs out in front of a car.  His consequences are worse when he gets home.  He has no tv or MobiGo privileges for 1 hr, and he has to spend the whole evening in his room except to come down for dinner and then back up to bed.

Episode 6: Skip to today.  Things seem fine.  We go to Bible Study this morning.  I arrive to pick him up from childcare, but he refuses to leave.  He tells me he's never leaving.  I have to drag him out.  He has lost his privileges again.  His mouth just keeps getting him in trouble.  I'm at a loss for what to do.  We stayed relatively calm the first 3 episodes, but we are just so frustrated at this point. 

I hope it's just a phase, but man it sucks.