superbad!

...and im not talking about the super funny, super clever movie. im talking about my kid. is it just me...or do other moms out there wonder how they gave birth to a sweet little baby, who can turn into "damian" or "chucky" at the drop of a hat? ok...i kid. well...kinda, sorta. i have to admit...my son is probably one of the sweetest, most sensitive and loving boys ever. he is very special, and in the grand scheme of things...a very well behaved and very good little boy.

BUT......

like any normal 3 year old, he likes to constantly "test" me. and quite frankly...it makes me INSANE! it makes me sweat, and clench my teeth and all i seem to say, is "hayden, no!" or "stop that, please!", or "hayden, its just not funny". the latter one is really the worst thing i can say, because his response is usually echoing me, "its not funny!....(ha ha haaa haaa)..."stop it!"...(ahaaa ahheeee heeee)..."its not funny...i asked you to stop!"....(shrilling with laughter). and giving him a time out? doesnt work! "hayden, i told you if you did it again, youd get a time out...so lets go now!" imagine how much it irks me, when he replies, (in a sweet voice, i might add)..."ok mommie. how long is this one for?" as he climbs into his bed/chair/step by himself. i know...this particular behavior isnt so superbad. whatever. its still really annoying.

and i accept some of this behavior, because it is normal for him to experiment with how things work. so whereas i get frustrated that he has to touch every damn button, knob, door handle, (or for that matter...ANYTHING in his vision), i also have to encourage his childhood curiosity to learn and to be inquisitive. i love that he wants to figure things out on his own! (it doesnt mean that it isnt annoying tho!) but the frustration doesnt end there. there are many other things... which arent necessarily bad, but just really grating. some examples. his shoes. they cant be wet. cant be dirty. cant be sticky. or he cant put his feet in them. so the other night when popsicle dripped in them...he refused to wear them. and he cant walk on the grass. he cries, "i need shoes! not those, but different ones!" well..i travel with extra diapers. sometimes extra clothes. but extra shoes? not so much! so unless we want our kid to spend the night in the middle of the park, we have to lug him home. hes not so light anymore. ditto goes for clothes that get wet or dirty. "hayden, its 120 degrees out...itll dry!' nope. "i need a new shirt!" how bout the other day. he pee-peed on his potty, (good!)...but missed, (not his fault...but messy!) so as i was cleaning up the floor, walls, potty chair, bath mats...i turn around to see him filling up cups of soapy water and pouring it EVERYWHERE! "baby...youre supposed to wash your hands. not the whole bathroom". he looks at me, and dumps it all over ME!!! looking like a drowned rat, covered in both sweat and soap suds, i finally get him out of the sink so we can rush to make it to camp on time. but NOOOOO. he has to change his clothes. theyre all wet! ok...how bout the time when he says, "mommie...im going to shoot fire right into your eyes!" lovely...huh?!?! i know he didnt learn that in our house. "baby, where did you learn that?" he didnt know. but he did take the antenna from his car and try to shove it into my eye. special...right?!?! i obvioulsy freak out and lose it. he just looks at me. "mommie, do i need a time out?" (ok..that one IS an example of superbad behavior.)

so whereas i do put up with this sort of stuff...i refuse (because i AM a good parent...), to do the same when it comes to hitting, biting and his newest superbad behavior, pinching! my husband tells me to pinch or bite him back, to show him how it feels. well, i just dont understand the concept of teaching a kid not to bite; by biting him. i mean...i get it...but from a 3 year old perspective....does that really make sense? it doesnt matter anyway...because sure enough, (and please dont call the authorities), i find myself doing it back to him. i know!!!! maybe not the best parenting. maybe i should be embarrased to admit that. but OMG!!!! seriously. GIVE ME A F*!&#*@ BREAK ALREADY!!!! it just makes me nuts and sometimes all i want to do, is sit in a corner on the floor and cry. and i would. if i had the energy to do so.

so thats my rant for the night. thanx for the free therapy. i will end this venting session by saying that dealing with this superbad attitude is all worth it; when at night he holds my hand, looks in my eyes and says, "mommie, i want you to leave so daddie can come in here."

with all of this being said, i can still say my superbad kid is still super awesome, a super blessing, and super special. i super love my super kid!!!