Why I won't be winning the "Mom of the Year Award"

As Jordan gets ready to leave tomorrow, I have been faced with all sorts of apprehensions on being a single parent for 5-6 months. Today I got a good taste of all I have to look forward to. MA was in a particular mood today despite taking a full 2 hour morning nap. Anytime one thing didn't go exactly as she wanted she would grunt, whine, and scream. This is not cute at all!

She is a rather head strong child who expects everything to bend to her will....not sure where that comes from :) In 15 short months we have had all sorts of bumps, scrapes, and bruises. She even had her first stitches at 9 months, but that is another story for another day. MA can be absolutely fearless about everything (except strangers, those are terrifying). She will push, pull, and climb on everything. She does not watch where she walks, but rather pushes any obstacle out of her way. If it cannot be pushed, she will climb it. If she can't climb it, she will scream until it is removed from her path. (Once again, no idea where this demanding personality came from)

Anyway, as mentioned earlier, I will be single parenting for the next few months, and if the afternoon is any indication, I think we are both in for an interesting ride. MA can pull the kitchen cabinets out just far enough to stick a little hand in and either get it stuck or retrieve some "treasure". Today these treasures included a whole box of plastic cutlery that she spread all over the floor. Once those were picked up, (imagine pick up sticks with a toddler, fun I tell ya) she then managed to pull out some paper plates and also spread them across the kitchen. I still am trying to figure out how the paper plates got out of the cabinet since his little opening is literally only big enough to put a little toddler's hand through.

After I this kitchen fun, I decided we should play with some of her toys in the living room. Well that was not to her liking as she could not pull a toy out of her purse sideways while also holding half of the opening closed. We got very red faced and irritated at that purse, and decided to make a break for the kitchen again.

I retrieved her from the kitchen once more and pulled out the music set she got for Christmas. Well, this was not nearly as much fun as the kitchen, and she once more attempted to make a break for the kitchen. The only problem was her drum was in the way. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, obstacles are no big deal, and she decided to just go full speed with the idea it will move out of her way. It did not move. Crash, boom, bam, she falls and instantly starts her I'm dying scream. As I hear this at least 10 times a day, I paid no mind, scooped her up and held her.

Anytime she injures herself she puts her hand to her mouth, whether she stubs her toe, skins her knee, or bangs her nose. Of course being the A+ mom I am, I didn't even bother to look at her mouth since this is always the first thing she grabs when she decides she is hurt. Only after she took her and out of her mouth to get a deep breath between screams did I notice her hand was covered with blood.

Now if you have ever met MA you know she guards her mouth tighter than Ft. Knox. No one and I mean no one gets to look at those teeth. So here is the scene a screaming baby with blood all over her mouth and she is pulling away every time I even try to glance in her mouth to see what is bleeding.

She loves to suck on bath cloths, so I gave her a cold wet one to suck on until she could calm down enough for me to look in her mouth. Once she has calmed her self from the trauma that was hitting her mouth, I get her cranked up again by trying to look and see what is bleeding. I determine it is only her lip and no tooth damage but by this time she is worked up enough to need another cool bath cloth since she has decided a paci simply will not do.

Well, while I'm getting that, she decides she needs to pull everything off the bathroom shelves I just cleaned. I say NO firmly and she looks and me a screams loudly. She turns back and starts to grab things again; she gets another NO. I get another red-faced scream. She pulls a basket off and gets a pop with a NO. More screams and she yanks another basket down. A pop on the hand, a swift scoop of the girl, and a speedy exit from the bathroom follows.

Now we have gotten all worked up over not getting to play in the kitchen cabinets, hitting our mouth, and not getting to pull everything out of the bathroom. We both need a break. I pull out some toys, and she makes a break for the kitchen. Expecting this move, I put up the babygate blocking her path to the kitchen.

In protest MA stands beside the gate pointing at it and screaming waiting for her path to be unblocked. Fortunately for both of us her Daddy came home at this point. If this afternoon is any indication on the next 5 months I think MA and I are in for quite a ride, and as the title indicates I will not be winning any mother of the year awards :)