Oh to be a three year old

Meltdowns.

These pictures are from TWO years ago when Austin was 18 months old. Now he is 3 and still pulling that face?

That is what Austin has been doing non stop for over a week now.

Where is my sweet, independent, talkative and curious bicho?

Thank goodness he is not doing them in public or else I might not ever leave my house! I think that between his overload of Easter candies, going to be later at night (b/c he is having fun catching up with Jared and his bedtime stories), and being a middle child...he just breaks down everyday just after lunch...and it lasts until bedtime.

Today for example:

Come home from the gym. He is pouting b/c he is hungry. At the gym I had to claw him off of me and bribe him with bubble gum just to go inside. He is a snotty nosed mess with red eyes. Pobrecito. He did the same thing yesterday at preschool. Since when did he get so attached? Is it b/c he misses Jared too?

We get home and I immediately start up on lunch (delicious frozen fish sticks, doesn't get much better than that! Yuck!). I have a repair man here as well to look at the damages from our move. Austin wants his sticks cut up. No problem. I do it and then he decides that he wanted them not cut up. Too late son!

Meltdown begins. Crying. Slamming doors shut. Even the repair man is feeling uncomfortable.

I have to juggle feeding Isaac (nursing with strangers is not so fun), get Wesley his food, try and discipline Austin, and talk with the repair man about the furniture. I need just one more hand (or boob in this case!) I put him in his room b/c it seemed like he needed a nap...he had a different idea. After I pulled the blinds down, opened up his bed and "tucked" (more like fought) him in, he continued to scream it all out. 10 minutes later he was still screaming and so I opened up the door. He had made his bed, picked up his clothes and opened up those blinds. Very independent my son! So, I decided to just give him a hug, ask if he was ready to leave and let him out.

Discipline is a whole other subject:

What is my method of discipline you ask? I just discovered it last night when Austin refused to eat dinner b/c he wanted a gogurt instead....no way son. You are skinny as it is, I won't let you just eat a gogurt and call it good. I don't spank and I don't scream. I give COLD BATHS. Yep, that worked out great! It took him two times in that tub until he finally caught onto my mood. Why can't every day be a smiley day for him like this picture over Easter?


Bring on the meltdowns Austin! Your mama is ready with cold water!