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. 

Final Halloween projects

C and I made some new decor for Halloween/fall...mostly inspired by pottery barn kids

 

Our hanging ghosts.  This was probably hilarious for our neighbors to watch me attempt to hang these.  I realized quickly I needed the big ladder, and once I got up there, I couldn't get the wire to go through the posts by myself.  Luckily I have a 4 year old willing to help.  He had to go upstairs, unlock the balcony door (difficult for him), and then go out and follow instructions on catching the wire and then sending it back down a row over.  This took a little while for him to figure out.  All the while I'm standing on the ladder looking up, and consequently like an idiot.  Well we got them up finally.  Pretty cute. 

 

Here's the PB version. $59.  I spent maybe $20 b/c I needed the styrofoam balls and glue.  My eyes aren't as dark b/c I didn't use cheesecloth, but they look awesome swinging in the wind.

 

 

 

I took my oval planter and filled it with pumpkings, gourds, and spanish moss. 

 

Finally--this was for C specifically.  He wanted a skeleton for his room.  I think it turned out cute, but I would do it differently if I were to do it again.  His name is "skully" dubbed by C.  You can't see his  name very well in this pic.  This project cost me $2.99 b/c I had most of the material.  Skully would show up better against a dark color, but this is where C wanted him. 

 

Here's the PB inspiration.

 

C was adamant his skeleton NOT have a hat.  Weird, I know.  I made skully more 3-D than this, which made him heavier, so it took some rigging to get him to hang w/o his shoulders sagging.  I also cut his humerus WAY TOO long.  This is what happens when you have no artistic ability.  I might redo them after Halloween, but C was pressuring me to finish him. 

 

Crafty update

My SIL, Sarah, and I have had some fun over the last few months having an occasional pinterest craft day.  Last week we had our third one.  Over the summer we experimented with rosette rings and t-shirt scarves, but this time we made fall wreaths.  I'm ecstatic how mine turned out.

 

Here's my burlap and felt wreath...I love it!

 

This was the one I copied/was inspired by!

 

Halloween wreath.  It didn't turn out anything like the one I was inspired by b/c I couldn't find orange chevron fabric anywhere, so I just went with it and made it my own.  I want to add a couple more strands of bats, but we will see if that happens.

C's weekend with Luther

It was C's turn in his class to bring home the class mascot, Luther Bear.  Luther comes home with a book of his previous adventures, a ton of clothes, and a spot in the book to add your own adventures/pictures.  C lucked out and got to have Luther 2 extra days b/c of a field trip on Friday (that got rained out). 

Here's a peak at his adventures.  He absolutely loved Luther and was sad to see him go this morning.

 

Luther got to go out for Mexican on my birthday!  Notice C is wearing his Captain America costume.  Yep, we're those parents.

 

Luther also got to enjoy my chocolate-covered strawberries my sweet friend Bree sent me for my bday.

 

Headed to soccer

 

Playing Just Dance

 

Sleepover at grandma and grandpa's

 

Just b/c he's cute dancing here.

 

Finally a family photo long in the making.  Our first one in 13 months...seriously.  This is after we attended the Cards game bundled for winter.  We picked C up at Walmart, so that is the awesome backdrop for our current family photo.   I love this photo of C.

Cold weather, get thee behind me

I hate the cold.  If you know me, you know this.  This blast of chilly weather makes me feel cookoo!  I was hoping to get by this winter without a maternity coat, but if this weekend was any indication, I'm doomed.  I also get terribly itchy skin when I'm preggers, so the cold weather just exacerbates it (as does really hot weather--go figure).  It seems a month too early to be breaking out cold-weather clothing. 

Halloween Decor

We got our Halloween stuff put out yesterday.  Pretty pleased with the outcome.

 

mantel

i just got this hand with the feather a couple of weeks ago.  i love it, but not sure how best to display it.  Too high and it gets lost, hmm.

 

Outside view w/ a little boy's head peeking out.

this was the view before we switched to Halloween

Apple Picking

We headed to Eckert's Family Farm for apple picking and fun with Scott's parents, his sister's family, and our friends the Schaffers.  We had a great time.  We saw them shoot the pumpkins from the cannon, watched 3 rounds of pig races (which was hilarious), picked apples, and let the kids ride rides. We stayed for about 3 hourse, and when it was all over we were all so pooped. 

 

posing with the other big kids. i guess he was trying to do Dracula

 

riding the swings with Mia.  the admission to the farm is pretty steep, but once you're in the entertainment except animal rides are free.  They have 4 or 5 rides, a haunted house, apple picking a jumping pillow, a giant slide, and I'm sure stuff I'm forgetting.

 

this kid was full of weirdness

Sampling his first apple in the orchard.  The trees were so picked over.  It was hard to find many good ones. At first C was paralyzed with fear b/c of the bees, but after about 10 minutes he relaxed and tried an apple.

Still enjoying that apple on the ride back.