Sometimes Parenting isn't Fun

Isaak is doing what Mica used to do. He's being a total pill in stores. I talk to him about store behavior. That works for maybe a minute or two. He's not a bad kid really! Something in stores makes him want Mica's attention. In order to get that attention, he tries to get it in a negative way. Isaak wants to rough house with Mica right in the middle of the isle. He laughs and kicks him. That doesn't work for me of course. I keep telling myself, This to shall pass. Mica once acted out running from me in the stores, and laughed about it. Now he walks very nicely by my side. That is unless Isaak has him going. I tell ya this is when just having one kid is much easier.

I remember when Mica was younger/in this stage; he ran off once, laughing, and hiding behind end caps. Isaak was in the front part of the cart. I ran up, grabbed Mica in the football hold, kept caring him like that, while pushing the cart. Mica yelled out, "Don't spank me Mom!" We had a book called Just Shopping With Mom. In that book the boy gets warned to have good behavior; otherwise he would get a spanking.

Source

My times have changed! I think when Mica said that; all eyes were on me. I'm sure some people thought, "Way to go Mom!", while others were thinking, "Spanking is awful!" I'm not one to judge how others punish their kids. We just don't spank at our house. We've found that other ways to punish works for us. Even at a young age of 2 Mica used to sit in the time out chair and discuss the negative thing he did, and how he shouldn't do it.

When possible we try and match the punishment with the crime. We've taken Mica's bedroom door off its hinges a few times for slamming his door. When Isaak has written on things, he's had to remove his scribble.

Yesterday I was at my wits end with Isaak. He was not listening AT all. I think the boy had more time-outs than he had in a whole month. After our errands, Isaak was allowed to go potty, eat his lunch then he was in his room for a LONG time. I was going to let him out, but he kept yelling, "Mom this is your fault. You are mean to me!" To me he wasn't owning up to his mishaps, and needed more time to think.

Daddy came home and said he had a surprise for Isaak. He would only give him the surprise if he cleaned up his room.

What he didn't know was that the surprise was hard labor for a little guy. We weren't letting him off the hook.

Isaak had to move some mulch and take care of some branches.

I'm hoping the next shopping trip is better. Crossing my fingers.

Will the Eraser, Erase His Stomach?

If you missed that Isaak ate an eraser, I wrote about it here.

Source

At supper that night I said, "So Isaak I heard you ate an eraser!?" 
He said with a smile on his face, "Yes I did." 
I said, "I wonder what that's going to do to your stomach?"
Daddy said, "It will start erasing it away."
Isaak's eyebrows raised up and he started sobbing. 
Isaak said, "What will happen to me? Am I going to die?"
Maybe it was bad, but we all couldn't help it, we busted out laughing. I'm still laughing about it.
I said, "No you won't die. If you eat some things you shouldn't, you could die. Stick with eating food."
Daddy said, "It will probably just come out in your poop."
Isaak still crying said, "Oh no! What will my poop look like?" 
I don't think we ever answered that one. 

Our attention then went to Mica, who spent the whole meal interrupting. I sent him to time-out after asking him three times to stop. Mica interrupts a lot. He stomped off to the time-out chair, having some attitude. Then when he was done sitting there, he had to take all the dishes to the counter.
He said, "This just isn't fair. I need a dessert when I'm all done!"
Daddy said, "You can have more salmon cuscus, or veggies if you are still hungry."
Mica said, "I don't want that stuff! I want a dessert."
Then he broke down crying like it was the end of his 7 year old life. 

That same night I read on Facebook that my nephew Elijah put sunblock all over his Dad's car; because he was worried it would get burnt.  

I tell ya something is in the air! Our boys have been so tired, emotional, stuffy, acting out more than usual and the weather can't make up it's mind. Usually our boys are not so emotional. Mica especially doesn't cry often. I really don't think we are still locked into having a cold. I think it's allergies at its worst.

Moody Friday

I didn't think it was possibe, but I have yet another cold. Today I'm struggling to talk. I actually feel slightly better than I sound. In one of my classrooms every other student was coming up for a tissue. I heard coughing, sneezing and nose blowing. There's sickness all around.

I was going to go downtown to art openings. With the way that I feel...I opted to stay home.

The boys wanted to play a Valentine match game Mica got from school. Mica got it all set up, while Isaak was in the bathtub. They started to play and Isaak got a few matches. Mica got up and said, "I'm not playing!" I said in my little to no voice, "Why?" He said, "Isaak's cheating. He got a few matches!" I said, "Isaak was playing fair Mica. I was watching you both play. That's how you play the game!" Mica got up and said, "Well I'm not playing if he's going to get matches right away."

I said, "Mica you need to go to bed right now! You are not being a good game player." Mica stomped off to bed.

Isaak started crying hysterically because his, "bover" brother wouldn't play the game with him. I asked him to stop crying and his crying just got louder. I would have played the game with Isaak, but he wouldn't stop crying. Isaak went to bed to.

My voice is going. I couldn't exactly have an in depth conversation with Mica, while Isaak was throwing a fit. I called Mica back out of his room and asked him to pick his game up.

Mica will have a talk with Me tomorrow, or he'll talk to Daddy if I can't talk.

What's That You Say?

• Isaak gets pushed around by his brother and cousins. It seems as though that might come to to a stop soon, maybe.  
• He's this far been the sweet, quiet boy (most of the time).
• My cute little toddler has now scored an attitude!

• Mica was sitting on the couch watching TV. He asked Isaak, "Hey Isaak would you please hand me Buzz?" Buzz Lightyear that is.
• Isaak said, "No Bica (Mica) I busy right now!"
• He was busy filling a box full of small toys. Surprise, it's our two year old's newest hobby. If there's a container or bag he'll fill it with small toys!

• That's not all this two year old has been saying!
• He's been saying, "Mine. Not yours. You can't have it!"
• I thought the word "Mine" was bad enough!
• Just rub it in my face that it's not mine why don't you son!

• We're getting quite the bad talker in our house lately!
• If anybody has any tips on disciplining this two year old I'd love to hear what you have to say!
• We correct what he's saying with alternative nice words.  We look into his deep "Soulful Eyes" as Grandma Apel calls them when we say the nice words.
• We give him timeouts when he's doing something destructive like throwing, hitting, taking toys and biting. 
• Should we use the timeout chair more? He might be living in it then. 
• I believe in matching a punishment to the crime if possible. When Mica slammed his door one too many times, slammed it on Isaak's fingers, he lost the door to his room. Soap in the mouth for bad talking is not right! It's putting chemicals in your kids mouth. I know people used to do that, but I would never do that! Even if I did, I don't think a kid his age would make the connection.
• Sometimes I question if two year old's understand much more then we think they do, or is it the opposite? Maybe they don't have enough reason to understand alternative nice words.