Carson and I have been butting heads for the past few…well, actually forever. We go through stages where all’s well, but those times seem to be few and far between. The past few weeks have been particularly trying, to say the least. I keep not so jokingly telling people that I don’t know if Carson ever truly had colic as a newborn or if he was just born difficult for the sake of being difficult. Everyone reminds me that he’s only four, but sometimes his behavior is so disrespectful and shocking that I think, “Only four? No wonder I’m exhausted, I’ve been dealing with this for FOUR years.”
Today when I picked Carson up from school, his teacher told me that he had worked very carefully on their art project. He handed it to me, as proud as I’ve ever seen him, beaming from ear to ear.
“I made it for you, Mommy.”
I wonder if he knew that it was exactly what I needed?
It is amazing how they push us to the brink and then remind us how amazing they are just before we jump off the edge…even when they were tiny and we were dreaming of longer stretches of sleep…when we didn’t think we could make it another day on two hour sleep chunks they gift us with a 4 hour chunk. Glad that you got your moment today. Adorable!
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And that is why we don’t sell them on the black market.
.-= C @ Kid Things´s last blog ..Good Times =-.
They are such smart little assholes. But, he looks like an angel from here, 11 hours away.
My eldest is 15 now, and when I had #2 I said “oh! babies are nice?!?!” because #1 was such a *difficult* baby from the the day she was born.
She is good company at home and we always get compliments about her (yes, she’s gorgeous, but more her behaviour)
)
Not sick or anything, but just stubborn.
We still fight a little, but she is turning into such a good girl
it is worth it. (Not that I think you really doubt that
The ones who fight hardest get so much more attention that they turn out so well
SO cute Jennifer. My post tonight had the same conclusion. XO
.-= OHmommy´s last blog .."I love you too much to argue." =-.
I’m with you on the boy that pushes all my buttons. We fight, yes, but we also love, love, love!!!
.-= Headless Mom´s last blog ..Love Waits Until Dinner =-.
I hear you, woman. I think you should keep that forever and ever.
Tonight as I was tucking her in, I said to Zoë, ‘hug me as tight as you love me’ and now my neck hurts. They make up for the wars big-time, sometimes.
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I will definitely keep it forever and ever. It means the world to me.
When they do things like that it makes up for everything else. What a perfect present.
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Wall-E Cake =-.
What a sweetheart.
I’m new to the blog and wanted to comment about how much I love your kids names. They are classic and so beautiful.
And even your husband’s name is rad. Okay, so I’m a name freak.
Nell
Thank you! I use pseudonyms for all of their names so that can’t be googled…but I chose the names because they were contenders when I was pregnant and considering names. Tate is named as such simply because I liked the name.
Oh, I understand. And then when they do something sweet like that it just totally knocks the breath out of me. And then feels like cool water on a frazzled and tired heart. Sweet relief for the moment.
Aww bless him! What a sweet project just for you!
Zack is the same age as Carson, it’s a *very* trying age that’s for sure, you have my sympathies. x
.-= Marylin´s last blog ..Lazy-Bum =-.
What a cutie! It looks like he sure knows how to turn on the charm!
Also, I came to the same conclusion with my daughter as you have with your son, she was BORN difficult for the sake of being difficult. My Dad says that its karma – I was difficult so I am no getting a taste of what I was like. GO me or perhaps GO us?
.-= HaB´s last blog ..A Day Home with Daddy =-.
But I was a PERFECT ANGEL growing up! My husband was the bad one, I guessed I’m getting screwed with his bad karma. Hmph.
Now that is something worth seeing. Better than chocolate, eh?
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I have a particularly trying kid as well and thought I would pass along this article (as it was passed on to me).
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200912/dobbs-orchid-gene
Also, if you’re interested, the book Transforming the Difficult Child has made all the difference in the world to us–it broke a year+ streak of terrible behavior.
These kids. Thank gawd they occasionally throw us a bone with the love. Oh, that sounded way dirty.
Thanks for passing along the info. I wish I didn’t need it.
It’s beautiful. A masterpiece. (Have it laminated!)
xoxo
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He may be . . . “challenging” . . . but he’s got a heart of gold. I adore that photo!
.-= Burgh Baby´s last blog ..Ding Dong! The Whore is Dead! =-.
These little wonderful moments like this are what help the trying times be a bit more bearable…for me at least (my boy will be 4 in May so I completely feel you…the girl turned 12 this week…so um…yeah…)
Dana
.-= Dana´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Puppy Love =-.
And it is so so lovely. You can tell he worked so hard on it for you, Mom.
My 4 year old has been particularly trying lately. I haven’t quite figured out how to deal with it. I guess the moments like those make it worth it (Maybe??). She often makes me pictures or tells me how beautiful I am. Then I feel guilty for all the other times that drive me crazy.
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I must tell you, that I completely understand where you are coming from. I have a seven year old boy, and at least 3 times a week I cry for hours trying to figure out what is wrong with him, or what did I do to him to make him behave the way he does. He however, is not only ill behaviored with me but at school and couldnt give a flip about school period. WE have spoken with his pediatrician numerous times, that of which landed us in a visit with a Pediatric neurologist, that of which she has sent us to a psychiatrist. Something along the lines of Oppositional defiant disorder, severe ADHD, and who knows what else. So honey I am in that boat with you, where sometimes you just wanna run away….. I wish you lots luck and hope it gets better with age. Also try the Nutella on graham crackers with Marshmellow creme, its to die for!!!
how sweet is that, just what you needed
.-= amber´s last blog ..The Perils of Potty Training =-.
love
Ohhhhh, do I hear you. My daughter is 5 and she has made me cry and pound my fists into a pillow at least once a week since birth. I read once in a book appropriately titled “The Strong-Willed Child” that some kids are like those aggravating shopping carts at the grocery store; no matter how hard you push them where you want them to go, they go exactly where THEY want to.(and knock over a few displays while they’re at it).
But then, of course, the ‘love’ gift… Smart, smart kid you got there.
.-= dusty earth mother´s last blog ..What Arts and Crafts are like at MY house =-.
When my husband was a child, her mother in law gave her a copy of “The Strong Willed Child.” She was mortified! I suspect that Carson takes after his dad!
Aww, that’s adorable! The kiddos have a way of doing that to us when we least expect it
.-= This Belle Rocks´s last blog ..Yesterday was not a bad day. =-.
Maybe he wanted Nutella for dinner. (No, just kidding!) The photo is almost as sweet as the artwork, with his little “I made this, Mom” smile peeking through the “O” and his mittened fists holding it up proudly.
.-= Stacia´s last blog ..Bubba =-.
I hate to tell you that your butting heads with Carson sounds like the same life-long journey I seem to be having with my little Grant. Ugh. Good thing he also does adorable things to melt me every so often.
KEEP BELIEVING
.-= Angie @ KEEP BELIEVING´s last blog ..a letter to my boyz regarding AIM =-.
how do they know???
if it makes you feel better, i butted heads (read = we did NOT like each other) with my mother for 18 years. EIGHTEEN YEARS. and then, all of the sudden… we’re friends. i’m not sure what changed, but in the past 12 years (omg, writing that just made me feel very old) we’ve grown so close. closer even than my sisters whom she almost never butted heads with while growing up.
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Oh that’s how they convince you to keep them, isn’t it?
.-= Jennie´s last blog ..Let’s talk about parties =-.
Like my husband just said last night, you have one (or more) of them that are making you nuts and then another one does something sweet to make you smile.
This post made me laugh and cry.
.-= Kristin´s last blog ..Happy Thoughts =-.
Totally crying…..okay, I am pregnant, so I have an excuse…but I also have a little 4 year old boy that melts my heart, too. Last week he came home from school and handed me a book that he checked out at the library….The Little Mermaid…just for mommmy.
Your son is THE SWEETEST BOY EVER. Hands down.
so what you’re saying is that my 2 year old will still be like this when she’s 4? Help me. (but that art project is to die for cute.)
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LOVE it!!!
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