Hate Mail

It has been said that if your children don't like when you exercise firm parenting on them, you are doing a great job as a parent. I must say...I AM SUPERB.

Yesterday, Chase had a Nuclear Core Meltdown. I am not even going to wonder where he learned such a blessed talent from.

Chase's unraveling began when I kindly removed the chocolate candy, gifted to us by our neighborhood grandma, from his reach. After a polite invitation to stop now and paste a smile on his face, or keep going into a tail-spin of consequences and 5-year old suffering, he chose to tail-spin. After his chocolates were calmly thrown in the garbage, he promptly, and dramatically, invited HIMSELF to Time-Out, muttering some very mild threats that I knew I wouldn't be so lucky enough for him to actually follow through with.

With the puppy pouting in the laundry room, and Chase pouting in his bedroom, I felt like the victor in a boxing ring. I triumphantly sat down and watched the news. Chase did make a quick re-entrance, though...but only long enough to feverishly cross my name off of the project he had been working on as a gift for me. Underneath the scribble, he wrote, "DAD".

Several minutes later, Chase emerged again. With a look of reticence on his face, Chase was asked if he was done with his fit, or if he needed another minute to cool down. He said he was done. It was quickly appareant that this was not the case when a wadded-up paper ball was tossed with a non-chalant, see-me-please-but-don't-see-me-please flair, over his shoulder.

This time, Chase was ushered to his room with a polite invitation to not come out until his attitude changed, or he could be eating dinner in his cell.

I then remembered the cannonball that had been launched in my general direction and was curious as to it's content. My elation at my son's first ever attempt to sound out and write his very first sentence ever, was short lived. It read:


i dnt lk u mom


Sigh. As a five year old, he is prone to mood swings as unexplained as his sporadic use of vowels. He swung back into favor with me soon after, though. Remember, I did get a snuggle, a compliment, and a pat on my head at bedtime a few hours later.

Only one question remains. Do I scrap book this little piece of a childhood milestone? I mean, it is quite an educational breakthrough...even if it was hurled at me.