Here we go again…

I fully realize many people think I’m crazy. I’ve accepted that (probably because I am) and its fine with me. What you’re about to read will probably only lead you to think that even more! All I know is I am in serious need of input and advice on how to get through to my almost 4 year old little girl! 

Yesterday I had put Alexa in her room for quiet time and Logan down for a nap. While I was sitting in my own room taking care of some things I heard Alexa sneaking around in the kitchen. I caught her red-handed in the jar of candy from the parade. I scolded her & returned her, empty-handed, to her room. She stayed in her room the rest of nap time & I thought all was well. In reality, she had snuck a piece of gum into her pocket, unknown to me. When Logan woke up from his nap I quickly gathered both kids up & put them in the car to head to my mom’s. It wasn’t until I was in the car and on my way to my mom’s house that Alexa tells me, “Mom there’s something sticky in my hair.” I turned briefly to look and noticed she was right. By the time I got to Mom’s she had told me the story -- she’d snuck gum into her room, chewed in while “napping” and it had fallen out of her mouth and into her hair while she was laying down!

Thankfully we googled how to get gum out and discovered that by putting ALOT of creamy peanut butter into the hair and brushing, working and combing it through the hair it will eventually come out. Needless to say it was an awful, painful mess but we got it out, didn’t have to cut her hair, and she hopefully knows she may never again chew gum while laying down or having her mouth open!

Then on to today - (well actually for the last several days) I felt awful. My head feels like I’d assume it would if a semi truck smacked into it. I’m not sure if its my allergies on overload (we’ve had the windows open in the house the last few days) or if I’ve managed to catch something from the many snotty noses I’ve wiped over the last 2 weeks. Either way I’ve felt horrendous for  the last few days & have been doing my best to keep functioning. If I were a man, or at least my husband, I’d have been laying in bed doing nothing but moaning & groaning for the last 48 hours, but we all know that as a mom, and as a stay-at-home mom I certainly can’t do that.

As a result of feeling this way and of knowing I’d committed Alexa to going to story hour at the library today, I figured I should shower to try & at least look better than I felt. I called my mom as I obviously wasn’t about to shower with both kids awake and have them get into disaster while I was in there. She kindly obliged and came over.

After story hour I made it home and Micah & I fed the kids. By this point I was completely wiped out. So Logan went down for a nap and Alexa refused. We decided, as she’s old enough to know right from wrong and she’s generally a pretty well-behaved child, that should could have quiet time instead of a nap, so long as she let mom nap. Micah brought her to her room & instructed her to stay there until nap time was over (when mom comes and gets her.) Great right? After all when I’m awake this is fine with her & she stays in her room like a good little girl. I locked the front door of the house, unplugged the doorbell and went to enjoy my rest.

Oh how wrong we were. I zonked out - literally - I was out moments after my head hit the pillow & I didn’t really awaken until I heard Logan crying. I vaguely remember (in retrospect) hearing Alexa go in the bathroom and then go to the basement to play - but these are safe areas where there isn’t anything she can get into that she’s not allowed to play with.

In light of last week Friday’s nail polish incident I had removed all nail polish (that I knew of) & the entire cabinet I store them in, from my bathroom and put it in my bedroom. (figuring that’s where I am when I’m away from the kids - sleeping, folding laundry, getting dressed, etc.) What I had forgotten was that there was nail polish I had thought I’d thrown away (but apparently hadn’t) and nail polish that I’d hidden on top of the fridge in the kitchen long ago. I had also taken the jar of parade candy off the counter (so she wouldn’t try and sneak it again) and put it on top of the fridge. This apparently wasn’t a good idea.

I’m assuming that while I napped she went looking for the candy, saw it on top of the fridge, climbed up on the counter, stood up, and got not only some candy, but also found the old nail polish. She went to work -- painting a picture on a paper, another on an envelope, painting her toe nails and her finger nails…all the while getting nail polish on the kitchen bench, on her legs, shorts, tank top, the carpet in the basement, and one of our nice comfy couch chairs. She also managed to find tape, tape her picture up on the door in the basement, find the pens that were stored on the top side of the fridge and use the marker in there to color on the wall in the basement and on our nice bookshelf. These are the things we’ve found so far at least…for all I know there could be more!

Needless to say I’m exhausted, still not feeling well, and finding myself dealing with a little girl whom I love but seem to have no influence over…no matter how many times, in how many ways we’ve tried to tell her not to do something…she will not listen and can’t seem to learn a lesson! All I can say is if this is how age 4 is going to begin, I’m not sure if I’ll survive to her teen years!!! I’m too tired to proofread this so please forgive me for all the ramblings or if this makes no sense at all!