Cooperation

                        

My 7 year old has been giving me a hard time lately. She goes through these periods where she just wants to resist and push back, which is a normal kid thing BUT....
                                         
Like the other day she refused to put on her pajamas. Flat out refused. It was time for bed and she said, "I'm going to sleep in my clothes." Her jean shorts and spaghetti stained shirt. That's what she wanted to sleep in. Why would she resist putting on her pajamas? She will be 8 in six weeks. She is not a toddler. She has superior intelligence. I didn't understand it. Finally, I told my 9 year old to tag team with me and we held her down and put her pajamas on. We wrestled with her for 10 minutes. She is really strong. Afterwards, she folded her arms and looked at me enraged and screamed, "I WANTED TO SLEEP IN MY CLOTHES!!!" I was exhausted. Then, I told her to brush her teeth. She didn't argue with me about it.

That being said, why do I still have to remind me kids to brush their teeth? I mean, they are just a few weeks away from being 8 and 10 years old. For their entire lives they have brushed their teeth twice a day. You would think that it would be ingrained in their daily routine by now.Yet, I think that if I didn't remind them to do it - they wouldn't. Kids are dirty. I think my oldest would brush in the morning on her own to avoid the ridicule of stinky breath but I always have to remind her at night. Not my 8 year old. We get ready to walk out the door. "Did you brush your teeth?" "Oh, I forgot." WHAT???? How do you forget to brush your teeth? Then she goes to do it and takes forever and makes us late.

I was amused this week because she brought a letter home from school saying she was getting an award to exemplifying the life skill of COOPERATION. Bwhahaha. She must be a pod person at school.

Maybe I'm just grumpy because I got no sleep last night. We played our infamous game of musical beds. My husband went to X-Men after the kids went to bed and when I went to sleep, I had our whole bed to myself. I woke up at 3 am smushed between my husband and my little one. She was pretty much trying to pick my nose in her sleep. WTH? I got up and went into her bed to try to get some rest. My 9 year old must have sensed that I was on the move because not 10 minutes later she came in and said, "Mama, can I lay with you." So she climbed into the twin sized bed with me. I dozed off until 5:30 when the light came on. My 7 year old stood in front of us with her hands on her hips and she looked offended, "What are you guys doing in my bed?" SHE is mad about me being in HER bed? Just kill me. So, I got up and went back to my bed. "Get dressed you guys, and don't wake me up until 6:30." They kept asking me questions. I wanted to weep.

I finally crawled out of bed and went downstairs. My youngest daughter was bugging me about packing her lunch for the class picnic today. I told her I would do it after I had a cup of coffee. She just kept badgering me and badgering me and badgering me. "Mama, I need a sandwich, mama, please now."
                                           
"NOOOOOO. AFTER MY COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!" Then we heard a knock at the door, it was the neighbor's kid that we drive to school. She is in my daughter's class. She sat at the table with us and I drank my coffee. "LJ - what did you pack for lunch?" She said, "Well, I have 3 sandwiches. 2 egg sandwiches, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a juice." I began to formulate a plan. How can I con her out of one of those sandwiches? I sipped my coffee. "I'll make a deal with you. If you give me the peanut butter and jelly sandwich - I will give you a kiwi, a granola bar AND some pretzels." She thought for a minute. "Okay." She handed me the sandwich and I put it in my daughter's lunch bag. Then I delivered the goods - which was much easier than making a sandwich.

I felt a little horrible about it, but it was a win-win. Bad Mom Award for me.