I knew the morning Daddy returned to work would be a rough one, but I could not have prepared for how badly it went. Let’s just say I got way overconfident. Dave headed out so when Charlotte came down I decided to combine my cardio workout with a fun bike ride. Big mistake. Thomas was in the little red car and Charlotte was on her bike. I can push him while I jog and she can ride along. That’s how I visualized it in my head, at least. Halfway-through Charlotte declared she was too tired to ride her bike and she wanted Mommy to push it home. Thus began a 30-minute shouting, screaming, crying match that ended with me carrying Thomas and dragging Charlotte through wet grass on her stomach as she hung around my ankles. No kidding. Before it got this bad, I passed a neighbor walking her dog. “Be happy your dog can’t cry,” I told her. By the time the grand finale happened, I had abandoned the plastic car, Charlotte’s bike, helmet, 2 backpacks and all her other “stuff” two blocks back. As I marched back home, a cool breeze hit my backside when a raving lunatic attacked me from behind and pulled my pants down. Yes, it was my 3-year-old. I had not planned on mooning the neighbors at 8 in the morning, but no time is a good time for this display. Another woman out for a morning stroll said something about her nieces being that bad… but I had tried to explain it all away by telling her and the other lady their daddy was back at work so I couldn’t handle them by myself. You don’t say, they must have thought!
Jayda and Millie from Charles City
Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 13
This post was written by tthomas on August 17, 2009
Oh my gosh, Tara, I am still laughing out loud!! That is too funny!! My son, who is 5, does this to my husband all of the time! It really ticks my husband off, but my son knows this is just the right button to push when he wants to get under daddy’s skin! *Sighs* The joys of having children!
Tara, You are cracking me up!!! Too funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to apologize for finding your story hiarious because I’m sure you didn’t see the humor in it at 8a.m. I do believe that little Charlotte has you right where she wants you and you are in a very tight spot, but you keep your chin up…they sure don’t stay small for long and one day soon this will be very funny to you!
LOLOLL!!!! And here I thought only stuff like that happened to ME!!!! Also, since today’s pic is of my 5 month old daughter (Jayda) and my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter (Millie) I might add that my BIG daughter (mommy of Millie) took this pic — I dubbed it “A Horrified Auntie” because indeed it does look like Auntie Jayda is horrified of something - perhaps the fact that Millie gets a sippy cup and she doesn’t … we mommies have the most funny stories, don’t we!!!
OMG–I’d be impounding the bike for a couple of days. She needs to learn that this kind of behavior is totally unacceptable. Being a parent is hard work and usually extremely embarrassing for us. Hopefully she/they will adjust quickly to the new schedules and future outings will be better. Good luck!
Love it Tara!! Thanks for the laugh and hang in there. Hope the day got better!
OMG agreed. You must have a HUGE patience level cuz my child would have been grounded for a week after something like that!! Or at least denied privileges, etc., for a VERY long time. None of that was acceptable - even for a three-year-old.
Can’t wait to see if you look frazzled tonight on the news! Too funny!
New schedules can be harsh on kids & MOM’S!
Reminds me of the days when my oldest did things like that. She too turned into a
crazed lunatic at the drop of a hat. She’s 26 now and can’t tell me why she acted that way.:)))
Thank you for the laugh this afternoon! I am so glad that someone who is so polished and professional, also is feeling frazzled, rushed, impatient, etc - all the things I feel!! I understand the lack of Dad being around - my hubby left for Afghanistan July 16th, so I’m still trying to get used to doing everything on my own, plus work, plus trying to explain to our 2 kids why Daddy is not there every day! Our oldest starts Kindergarten next week - so a whole new routine will commence! I feel like I’m just not doing a great job of anything these days - but I am praying that it will get better day by day. By the time I have it all down, my hubby will be back!!!
Take care!
Thank you for the laugh! My co-worker was wondering if something was wrong with me, I was just laughing hysterically.
Hope the days get easier.
That’s why they call it the “Trying Three’s,” which were a lot tougher than the “Terrible Two’s” in our house. This too, shall pass…
Did anyone get get any pictures ?
HAD TO BE GREAT TO SEE
That is sooo funny! Thanks for sharing!
That is so funny Tara. But the thinks ae kids do for attention. I hope the rest of your day was better. Thanks for sharing this! I was LOL on that one and read it to my husband and he laughed also.
Have a good week.
I think it’s time to call in Super Nanny - seriously!!! Your children are controlling you when you are supposed to be the one controlling them. If you don’t get it under control now then you will have nothing but years of heartache, humiliation, defiance and disrespect from your children. I don’t think that’s what you want out of parenting.
Too funny Tara! Do hope your day got better. Our children are of adult age (some days we wonder if they are “grown-up”), and this brought back some memories of their early years! For the most part they are now very independent and level headed. Good luck and thanks for sharing very human experiences!!
Don’t forget to put that in the “Baby Book”.
You will look back on this and laugh some days. I have a grown son, and my mom and I were laughing at some of the things he used to do when he was your children’s age. We didn’t necessarily think they were funny at the time, but we do now. He is now a successful individual living on his own. Guess even though he had control over situations sometimes, he still turned out okay. Sometimes we have to learn not to sweat the samll stuff.
I agree with Kandice, time for Super Nanny. I wonder what she would have to say. The post was not funny, it was sad.
So tell us Tara…what did Daddy say when he heard about this episode??? And is the bike still out or did it get grounded to the garage??
Those that criticize how you raise your children - lighten up. When my son was 4 and I had a new baby, my Dad gave me the same lecture when my son threw a trantrum - I would never have control of him. He is now a 28 year old high school teacher with a masters degree - seems to have done just fine. Keep your sense of humour!
My daughter lifted my skirt in a store last week as I was checking out - I feel your pain, and am also glad to know I am not the only one mooning the Cedar Valley
O so funny! Please keep sharing your stories with us … I don’t think you need Super Nanny or if you do, then I need her worse!! I would like my daughter to be 2 again, I have renamed it terrific 2’s and terrible 3’s!
This is funny, but at the same time I think you need to take control more. I realize that you were out and couldn’t do much right at that time, but I sure hope Charlotte was punished when she got home, and her bike is parked in the garage for a while. She is not going to learn right from wrong if you let her get away with these things, and soon you will have Thomas doing the same things because his sister can get away with it so why can’t he. I’m curious also, when you are telling these stories at work, what does your co-worker Ron Steele think of some of the situations that have happened to you?
Taking bikes away? Calling Super Nanny? Wow, didn’t realize that being 3 was a crime. Also didn’t realize that SO many people have PERFECT kids. Tara, your’re a GREAT mom and thanks for sharing these cute stories, I just feel bad you have to get all of the UNSOLICITATED ADVICE.
To Krissy….Tara posts these “adventures” so she realizes she will get advice, some good, some not so good. No one and I mean no one has a PERFECT child, we may like to think so, but we know better. I never worked away from home and my children’s father went to work everyday, so he never was “Mr. Mom”, we had a totally different lifestyle than what Tara has, there is really no way I can compare her situation to mine, I’m not sure I would have been quite so tolerant of Charlotte’s behavior were she my child, the bike very likely wouldn’t be ridden for a few days, but everyone raises their children in their own way. It’s obvious how much Tara loves her children, they will do just fine.
In Tara’s next blog, she tells us the “rest of the story”, that makes a lot of difference in what occurred. Sounds like Charlotte just “got up on the wrong side of the bed”, happens to the best of us.
Oh my! That is a hilarious story!!! And I know that I have been there, done that. I am pretty sure our household - with 3 boys - is just disfunctional chaos at its best! And I am pretty sure that anyone who has kids has been there at some time or another. Mom’s have great plans and then the meltdowns occur and our best laid plans get just a little off track. Thanks for sharing the fact that your life is as “normal” as the rest of ours. Nice to see the news lady at night and know that her life is really no different than the rest of us. And if you do get ahold of Super Nanny send her my way (my 7 year old is throwing a tantrum as we speak) and I would love to hear her advice (you can air it on the 10 0′clock news!).
To G1,
I’m sorry - but Ron Steele has kids too. I’m sure they all had their moments, just as all our kids do. And, what does it matter what Ron Steele thinks about that anyway? He probably laughed out loud, like the rest of us that have a sense of humor and know our kids aren’t perfect! Geez, Tara puts herself out there by sharing her life with us - yes, I know that can garner some criticism by those who are negative, but geez - give her a break! I’m still laughing at “what did Ron Steele think.” Like he’s King of right and wrong or something??
I can’t believe people actually want you to take the bike away. She was just tired. A 3-minute timeout would have been sufficient for throwing the fit. I think the most valuable lesson learned would probably be: don’t take a 3-year old on a long bike ride. When my kids were 3, a couple blocks was long enough for them, but that was learned by trial and error.
To MelK,
As you say, Geez! I was just asking what Ron thought. I know he has kids, and I don’t think he’s king of right or wrong. You totally took that out of context. Lighten up!
I guess had I been in Tara’s place, I would have had the biggest problem with Charlotte pulling down my pants…..would have had to be Tara and been there to know exactly how I would have handled it. Seems that there should have been some kind of consequence for that action??? But that’s just my opinion.
Very funny story. My comment is directed to Kay Winkelman, grandmother of the cute kids in the picture. I am hoping that the pic is not your 5-month-old granddaughters crib. That is not even remotely safe. A bouncy seat should never be in a crib, nor should there be stuffed animals. A tightly fitted mattress (no bumpers) is all that is needed. Look up information on sleep positioning and SIDS risk factors.
Tara,
I love your stories of the little ones. You tell them so well. I have an almost 3 year old and 4 month old and have the same situations going on in our home. This one made me laugh out loud. You should write a book. I would definitely buy it. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.
Tara, this made me laugh so hard and I had to share it with others at work. I work in a Pediatricians office so we all laughed. You also made me realize that my own kids, 5 and 12 months are normal and that they all do things out of our control no matter how hard we try to teach them right from wrong!