E's birthday

ahhh things are starting to get better, or at least go smoother for us. So we decided(hubby finally decided) we are going to have a small birthday party at the house this year for the Emily. It will be interesting to see how well everyone packs in here. It's going to look like a can of sardine's by the time everyone gets here and we try to eat, sing, play, or just even stand around and talk! I'm excited though since this will be the first time any of the girls have had a day all about themselves(well 2-3 hrs). Not even 30m's after hubby said we could do it I had the laptop out, on the party city website, and Em picking out what kind of theme she wants. She picked out the Scooby Doo since that's the latest 'cool' thing in our house, but daddy said 'it's not girly enough' and talked her into princess's. I'm thinking, its her birthday, why does it matter? Besides, I'm sure the boys are just going to 'love' playing 'Pin the shoe on Cinderella'. We certainly didn't waste anytime getting out and shopping for it. I think I'm more excited then she is over her party!

Wednesday was the usual day of grocery shopping, which went as well as any other time. Me pleading and bribing my child, which never works. Nothing works with Maia, I just 'love' it. She refuses to sit in the cart, which is a challenge in itself. Every time you go to sit her in there the little seat flap flips up, so you have to move them, put that down, you get their foot in, go for the other foot, they slip the foot that you just had in there out, the seat flap goes back up. I swear we run through this process at least 3-4x's we go to anyplace that she has to sit. Your thinking, while why don't you just let her walk beside you? I'll tell you why, because first she runs all over the place, doesn't listen, runs in front of the cart at the last minute like a deer testing vehicles, never makes it in time, so you then knock her on her butt. Then you get the evil stares from everybody with them clucking their tongues on what an awful parent you are to that, as if you somehow planned it, and of course they're darling children would 'never' do such a thing. If that's not the case we have to put everything we see in the cart whether she likes it or not. Not to mention there's the touching of every piece of food that we can find. The list goes on and on. Riding in the cart even with the strap as tight as it can go is also no fun. Now houdini is able to reach everything and so everything, I still have not been able to figure out how, every time I try and watch I miss it. As if she can sense when mommy's looking. I absolutely hate the packages that raspberries and blueberries come in, it never fails that she will find them(or something else) and grab them to eat. Which wouldn't be so bad except she eats 1 or 2 then loses her grip and drops the entire container on the floor. After shopping, we now have the battles of the wills.
Nap time....
Me:Come on nap time, pick up toys
Maia:I don't wanna pick up toys mommy
Em: La la la la la
Me:Maia please pick up toys
Maia:(more insistent) NO mommy, I DON'T wanna pick up toys!
Me: Fine, no snack after nap
Maia:I wanna snack!!!
Me: then you better pick up toys!5 min's later
Em: look mommy I picked up all the toys!
Me: Go pick up toys in your room
Maia: I don't wanna pick up toys in room"By now I'm dragging her to bed kicking and screaming, Emily goes to bed no problem, as if she's a perfect angel. After a few more minutes of screaming and crying Maia gives up and goes to sleep. This process goes on everyday or at least every time they have to take a nap....sigh...it never seems to get easier. Once I finally find a way to deal with her mood swings or stubbornness she finds something else to add to it that feels even more horrible then the one before it!

Friday there was a bridal shower/playdate that I took the girls to. Of course it was suppose to be a rainy and crappy day, turns out to be sunny and 70's and I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt....nice. I make lists up the wazoo and no matter what I do, I can't sleep! Which made us all wake up late and we had a friend riding with us. So I'm running through the house like a chicken with the heads caught off trying to get breakfast for the kids and things ready to go. Then jump in the shower, ect. I told myself to keep checking for then they get here, while I was doing my hair, just as I'm finishing(thankfully almost done) they get here, so I'm whipping on the clothes, running, tripping, to the back door to let them in. 15 m's later we were out the door and on our way. I always wait and put Maia's shoes on in the truck and have her stay in the house while I go and get things put in there. While since Emily came out and everyone else followed so did she......in her socks...argh! Get the girls strapped in, shrek going on the DVD player, I ran back in the house, to grab her more clean socks(it had just rained to), snacks for the kids, and you think I remembered to grab the shoes on the way out? nope! The one time that she doesn't have ANY shoes in the truck! I can't win......While we're there, I'm thinking to myself, the girls have been quiet for awhile and I haven't seen them. Sure enough, they're outside and Maia's barefoot.
So another battle of the wills comes about:
Me:Maia get back in the house
Maia: NOOO!!!
Me:I'm not asking!
Maia: I DON"T WANNA GO IN THE HOUSE!!!!I believe that children should ask for permission, I never let them go outside without asking at home so it certainly isn't going to be any different going somewhere else. They're not allowed to go outside period unless I'm with them, daddy, or whoever we left in charge. She has turned into a very mouthy, independent, stubborn, know it all, defiant, 2.5 year old. Wonder when it gets better?

Yesterday the weather was perfect though when we got home. I was surprised to see hubby working outside on the yard so the girls went running for the backyard to play. I went in and opened all the windows in the house to air it out from being closed all winter. The wind was just crazy, it was awesome how strong it was, of course you know its only that strong because there's a storm coming. Which I'm highly disappointed with! The best part of the storm was 11 Miles north of our house! I love thunderstorms and heavy rains and watching it from a far, instead we get drops of water and can hear the thunder in the distance. All in all this week has been great. Now we're back to cold, crappy, cloudy weather which really stinks.