MomZilla Attacks!!

"This is just a phase, he will grow out of it." Words that my very wise mother has said to me over and over the past three years. Unfortunately, this phase has never ceased.

My spunky, wild and adventurous son Grayson is three-years-old and has been officially dubbed "Destructor."

This nickname seems a bit cruel, but is sadly, the truth. Everything this wild one touches is destroyed, spilled, or blown up. (I might have exaggerated the last one a bit.)
Grayson is very independent and has a mind of his own, which I at times is wonderful, but most of the time means he is getting into trouble.

This evening in particular, he was ready to eat, now! We had just come in from riding bikes, and I follow the boys in and he is already pulling everything out of the refrigerator.

"Whoa, mister, you stop right there before you break something," I said.
"But mommy, I am hungry and I need a snack," stated Grayson.

As I was putting away the jelly, and the milk and whatever else he dragged out in the span of five seconds, he managed to finish his drink and dump the ice out of his cup onto the table. He then lined all the ice in a row and was sucking them off one by one. Slamming the refrigerator door, I take a few deep breaths so I don't mutate into MomZilla. After some arguing, I finally get him to clean up his mess.
I turn back to the kitchen to begin reheating leftovers.
Good thing I didn't have to cook a complete meal tonight. I began to empty the dishwasher....
"MOOOMMMYYY, I NEED TO GO POOP!"

Alright, I take him to the bathroom, sit him on the toilet and he turns into Mr. Chatterbox. Five minutes later..."Oh I didn't have to poop."

OK. Deep breaths, stay calm, he will grow out of this.

Finally, I am ready to set the table and eat, when lo and behold there is a puddle of water on top of the table. He never finished cleaning the ice up from his drink. It has melted and is dripping onto his seat and the carpet.
I take a few more much needed deep breaths. (I don't think the breathing is helping me any...)

Finally, we are seated at the table eating and everyone is chatting happily when Grayson goes, "AHHH, MY MOUTH IS HOT!"
So, I get up to get some water. He is watching me this whole time and then begins to cry when I begin filling his cup. "I don't want waterrrr..."
"Too bad, this is what you are going to drink."
"But I want ice in it."
"No! No ice. You made a mess with the ice I gave you."
"But I need it," he continues to wail.
(I begin to shake, gritting my teeth, the mutation process has begun)
"YOU WILL DRINK THIS WATER, SO HELP ME THIS WILL BE THE ONLY DRINK YOU GET THE REST OF THE NIGHT."  Oh crap, MomZilla made her ugly appearance.

I am not happy that I lost my patience and temper with him, it is so hard to keep it when he pushes and pushes. But you know, he drank that water and two more glasses of it.

One of these days, he will grow out of it....but not right now, because it is time for bed and we will do this routine all over again.....deep breaths, stay calm, just breath......this too will pass.

Oh why, Oh why

I read that a pre-schooler can ask 487 questions in a single day. For having a 4-year-old, I think it has to be more than 487. It is more like thousands. Then I realized, I am being asked the same questions. Holy Cow! I have been answering the same questions over and over and over again. So it dawned on me to ask a question in return to see if he remembers the answer was. And it worked! His little curious mind absorbs everything I said.
If you start to feel overloaded by all the what, how, and whys, try this little trick. Just ask your pre-schooler, "What do you think?" and see if they answer their own question.