Can you believe that Don Henley had a hit song about this topic?
I know, me neither...Don Henley. I'll admit I was never a Henley fan, the singer or the t-shirts.
And if you don't know what I mean you are probably too young to read my blog. (KIDDING!)
But you probably do know what I mean when I say kids generate an unbelievable amount of laundry.
I washed FOUR LOADS of kid clothes yesterday. Little teeny tiny kid clothes. Two-thirds of it was Persistence's, which are the smallest clothes of all. She still wears some 18-month and 24 month stuff!
She is heavy into her Diva stage, which apparently requires multiple wardrobe changes a day. I was talking to my two good friends about this and as I griped I realized, umm wow, they probably only see her in the exact same outfit all the time. When Persistence goes out, she must be in full Princess regalia or Ballerina costume. It's the layers under and over that...the layers I insist upon, resulting in numerous fights every day.
You can bet the ongoing power struggles between me and Persistence are exactly why Patience wrote the letter to Santa that she did.
Persistence has hit Stubborn Screaming Threes.
I don't know why everyone focuses on the twos. I can handle twos. I can deal with twos. It's always threes for us. Everyone said this to me when Patience was two, "Ohh ho ho ho just wait until three," in a really menacing way, which used to chap my hide royally, even more so because eventually I discovered they were right. (But that didn't help me as I struggled for the first time through the twos.)
So all day every day I exhaust myself with my attempts to creatively parent, positively direct, positively redirect, prevent potential terrible situations,and manage the ones that come along as best I can.
By the time Patience gets home I'm ready for a nap, so she gets to see emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted mom who already has little to no patience left. (Hence my mommy guilt about her Santa letter.)
Several times this week we've had to make errand runs after school and by then Persistence is in full blown boundary testing mode. Yep, she winds up right when I start to wind down. Fun!
It's all the joy to get Those Looks everywhere we go, as people---who haven't seen the rest of my day---think Bad Things about me and my kids.
It takes a tremendous amount of cajoling to keep things as far from Total Deranged Lunacy as possible and as close to Pleasant as I can get.
I will say it's easier this time, dealing with age 3, because (a) I'm not bedridden with pneumonia, (b) I didn't just have a baby, (c) I'm not in the middle of a nasty legal battle with a moving company who lost and ruined our entire household of belongings, (d) we're not suddenly living in a new state, city and community. Among other reasons. But the main one is that I have Been Here, Done This before, and lived to tell about it. As did my kid.
So I know it's true: this too shall pass.
In the meantime, Patience writes pleading letters to Santa, I beg God and all the Saints in Heaven for deliverance, my husband finds out of town projects and we all look forward to working out this kink.
Oh yeah and I do tons of laundry.
So that's why today I'm at my recommends blog talking about laundry...I know, how dirty. Oh really? You were thinking how boring? Well go check it out and see if you are right---I double dog dare you! Keep in mind that my review of the products is purely my own...nobody asked me, paid me or gave me free product (although geez I do keep asking! LOL).
I'm also at Moms Speak Up talking about the same thing. Because I'm really consistent and efficient---boring?---that way.
Plus, you should scroll down and read my previous entries if you haven't and if you want a good laugh at other people's kids' expense.
Isn't that the best kind?
Copyright 2007 Julie Pippert
Also blogging at:
Using My Words
Julie Pippert REVIEWS: Get a real opinion about BOOKS, MUSIC and MORE
Julie Pippert RECOMMENDS: A real opinion about HELPFUL and TIME-SAVING products
Moms Speak Up: Talking about the environment, dangerous imports, health care, food safety, media and marketing, education, politics and many other hot topics of concern.
I know, me neither...Don Henley. I'll admit I was never a Henley fan, the singer or the t-shirts.
And if you don't know what I mean you are probably too young to read my blog. (KIDDING!)
But you probably do know what I mean when I say kids generate an unbelievable amount of laundry.
I washed FOUR LOADS of kid clothes yesterday. Little teeny tiny kid clothes. Two-thirds of it was Persistence's, which are the smallest clothes of all. She still wears some 18-month and 24 month stuff!
She is heavy into her Diva stage, which apparently requires multiple wardrobe changes a day. I was talking to my two good friends about this and as I griped I realized, umm wow, they probably only see her in the exact same outfit all the time. When Persistence goes out, she must be in full Princess regalia or Ballerina costume. It's the layers under and over that...the layers I insist upon, resulting in numerous fights every day.
You can bet the ongoing power struggles between me and Persistence are exactly why Patience wrote the letter to Santa that she did.
Persistence has hit Stubborn Screaming Threes.
I don't know why everyone focuses on the twos. I can handle twos. I can deal with twos. It's always threes for us. Everyone said this to me when Patience was two, "Ohh ho ho ho just wait until three," in a really menacing way, which used to chap my hide royally, even more so because eventually I discovered they were right. (But that didn't help me as I struggled for the first time through the twos.)
So all day every day I exhaust myself with my attempts to creatively parent, positively direct, positively redirect, prevent potential terrible situations,and manage the ones that come along as best I can.
By the time Patience gets home I'm ready for a nap, so she gets to see emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted mom who already has little to no patience left. (Hence my mommy guilt about her Santa letter.)
Several times this week we've had to make errand runs after school and by then Persistence is in full blown boundary testing mode. Yep, she winds up right when I start to wind down. Fun!
It's all the joy to get Those Looks everywhere we go, as people---who haven't seen the rest of my day---think Bad Things about me and my kids.
It takes a tremendous amount of cajoling to keep things as far from Total Deranged Lunacy as possible and as close to Pleasant as I can get.
I will say it's easier this time, dealing with age 3, because (a) I'm not bedridden with pneumonia, (b) I didn't just have a baby, (c) I'm not in the middle of a nasty legal battle with a moving company who lost and ruined our entire household of belongings, (d) we're not suddenly living in a new state, city and community. Among other reasons. But the main one is that I have Been Here, Done This before, and lived to tell about it. As did my kid.
So I know it's true: this too shall pass.
In the meantime, Patience writes pleading letters to Santa, I beg God and all the Saints in Heaven for deliverance, my husband finds out of town projects and we all look forward to working out this kink.
Oh yeah and I do tons of laundry.
So that's why today I'm at my recommends blog talking about laundry...I know, how dirty. Oh really? You were thinking how boring? Well go check it out and see if you are right---I double dog dare you! Keep in mind that my review of the products is purely my own...nobody asked me, paid me or gave me free product (although geez I do keep asking! LOL).
I'm also at Moms Speak Up talking about the same thing. Because I'm really consistent and efficient---boring?---that way.
Plus, you should scroll down and read my previous entries if you haven't and if you want a good laugh at other people's kids' expense.
Isn't that the best kind?
Copyright 2007 Julie Pippert
Also blogging at:
Using My Words
Julie Pippert REVIEWS: Get a real opinion about BOOKS, MUSIC and MORE
Julie Pippert RECOMMENDS: A real opinion about HELPFUL and TIME-SAVING products
Moms Speak Up: Talking about the environment, dangerous imports, health care, food safety, media and marketing, education, politics and many other hot topics of concern.
Comments
:)
Happy Lathering!
Oh and I think the laundry breeds in the baskets. that's my theory anyway!
happy washing!
You are teaching me that I have my own "rules". Did not realize that I have them. I have taught my daughter not to use her clothes as a napkin by not allowing her to change when she is dirty. She does not like it and no longer wipes her hands on her shirt.
I did allow her to wear a princess dress to M's school party yesterday after reading your post from the other day.
I have a 4 year old who is also into costume changes. Just how many pairs of sweatpants and truck shirts can a little guy wear in one day. "But that's not a coool shirt Mummy."
I don't know anything about the terrible twos. Two was a great age for Princess. But as she gets closer to three I find myself turning a bit grayer in the attic. I like to call this age the "trying 3s"