I'll Take My Victories Where I Can Find Them

My two-year-old daughter has a big personality. She also is a person of strong opinions. Her doctor calls her a 'hot ticket' and has since she was born. Yes the personality shined through pretty early ;-).

Two wasn't so bad with my son. We had a tantrum here and there and some sleep issues but overall nothing major. Darling daughter (DD) is another story.

She flips out over the weirdest/silliest things sometimes as well as the predictible ones. She is at her worst when she's tired but she can throw a mean tantrum even when she is well rested. She can also turn on a dime with them. She's been known to howl, kick on the floor, throw herself at you, try to force herself to throw up (the whole nine yards) and then when she see's it's not working (fourty minutes later) she can turn it off, snap.

There have been issues in our house the last six weeks in part because of a flood and the rest for reasons unknown that have left her waking most nights and puking at the waking with regularity. We think her reflux has returned and the doctor is working with us to find something to help. If only DD would work with us. Oh the fights we're having! I've had medicine thrown on me. I've had it spit on me. I've had it gagged out on me (and that's all only today!).

With that backstory in mind, here's my victory. DD threw no less than three tantrums today. Lately I've been so strained and on edge that my temper is triggered pretty quickly and I end up yelling. I'm not proud. It's not pretty and it's certainly not the way I want to parent. Darling son (DS) has been home sick all week and everyone is feeling the confinement so when the tantrums started this morning I was dreading the day. My husband wasn't going to be home until late so it was just me and the kids...in the house...all...day...long.

But! :-)

I managed not to yell much at all though sorely provoked (including when she tried to pull a hunk of my hair out when she was put in time out - time out was earned after DD deliberately and slowly poured a cup of water all over the kitchen floor because she didn't like the cup I gave her). We even had the puking tonight after DS woke her up. But I managed to get her cleaned up quickly and quietly and settled back into bed and asleep without the fuss that usually accompanies these episodes and I didn't yell at DS despite my complete and utter exasperation.

Hard as it was I'll count today a victory.