A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words...

The other day the boys were out and it was just the girls at home. Kate started to get a little fussy and I asked Ellie to go and get her a dummy. Ellie duly went upstairs and came back down with a dummy that we used when Kate was a newborn and we haven't used in months. It has a different shape from the ones she's used to now, but she was getting quite distressed and I thought it would do. I popped it in anyway, she sucked twice and it fell right back out again. She just couldn't keep it in, and every time it fell out she got madder and madder until she was screeching like a banshee. She was furious!

I asked Ellie to go and get me a different dummy. Now, whenever you tell Ellie to do anything she comes right back at you with any number of reasons why she will not, or should not, or just plain is not going to do what you just said. So Kate is screaming, and as every mother knows the louder the screams get the part of your brain that actually works gets smaller and smaller, and you feel more and more frantic, and Ellie is twirling around in the kitchen explaining to me how we just need to show Kate the pretty flowers on the dummy she has and she'll like it. At this point I can't take any more screaming and I don't think pretty flowers are going to cut it anyway, so I tell Ellie again to go get me a different dummy, and as she starts to refuse again I will admit that I snapped at her. I don't admit to shouting, but I got quite short and told her to get upstairs and get me a different dummy, now, and fast.

She was not happy with me, but she came back downstairs with the right dummy and peace was restored. And then about five minutes later she showed up and told me that every time I shout at her, she wants me to look at this picture and think about her crying because I shout.



Those are not rosy cheeks, those are big fat tears. And just look at all my teeth! I love how mad I look! I am a little concerned though, that I am actually smaller than Ellie, but in her mind that's exactly right... she is more important than mere parents.

This really was a disproportionate response to what actually happened. I swear I didn't shout. And, please refrain from telling me how much trouble I am in with Ellie, when she gets a little older. I already know.