Today was worlds apart from yesterday! The kids were happy to get up and have breakfast, and we played and played in the basement. Dekker took me from one activity to the next. We played ball, we raced cars, we tickled Laela (yes, thats an activity), we ate snacks, we lay on our tummies, we read books, we did puzzle, we did whatever he wanted. He fussed a bit here and there, but I would remind him that we weren’t going to whine today, and he would get over it pretty quickly. I was so relieved about that. I still felt exhausted from yesterday. But it went really smoothly.
The kids lasted longer than usual, but I figured it was ok, since Dekker especially had a very long night last night. They went down for a nap around 2:30. Laela only slept until 4:00 but I worked my butt off!!
I tackled the furnace room today. I admit, I have yet to complete a whole room, but I’ve completed tasks anyway. Our furnace room is stacked waaay up and I had no idea what it all was. When the two men came in the other day to help with our clogged pipe, they had no choice but to really move it all around, and it became a much worse mess. So I attacked it at the only place I could really access, and started moving boxes out.
Boxes. Yup. Thats all I found. Over 70 boxes. Ready for the kicker? Empty boxes. All in box form, too. Not flattened, or storing anything. Just an incredible pile of boxes. By incredible, I actually mean infuriating, but I just kept moving. Empty boxes were going to be much easier for me to clean up than heavy ones! I had considered saving some for potential moving boxes down the road, or some smaller one wrap gifts in, but there were just too many and I’m so over having random crap cluttering my home. So I stacked them up for Brady to haul away next chance he gets. Our furnace room is far from done. Its still a mess. But I can get to my freezer again, and that makes me happy. I worked up a good sweat too.
Dekker slept until almost 7:00!!! He was obviously completely exhausted. We had cheated and picked up KFC for supper. Yummy bowls of mashed potatoes, chicken, corn, and gravy. Sooo yummy! And Dekker loves all of those things. So I scooped some into a bowl for him. He was so hungry. But freaked out. Not like, he whined a bit, but had an absolute throwdown. He is more than welcome to cry, but he will now thrashed and kick at the table, which isn’t acceptable in our book. So off to his room to cool off. He cried for a solid ten minutes, no word of a lie. We brought him back out, only to have a repeat of the situation. These are rules he absolutely knows, for those of you thinking we’re cruel. He knows he needs to take a few bites of his food at least, and that kicking and screaming at the table is not permitted. So he had two time out that took up about twenty minutes all in. I finally went in and we had a very tough talk and some punishment. He knew what he had done, and seemed very remorseful. So I asked him what happened now, to which he replied “Detter eat potatoes and corn!” Perfect. Brought him out. And he screamed. And screamed.
So my boy went to bed without supper 🙁 Early bedtime, too. After such a long night, and a huge nap too, I have no idea what tonight will even look like. I feel sick about it, but I don’t know what else I could have done! When he was crying the last time, I even said to him “You can eat this food, or you can go play, but you can’t have other food.” But he was just yelling away. He was beyond reasoning. So he’s in bed. Poor guy. I feel awful. Ugh.
Trying to keep a positive attitude though. It was a successful morning with the kids, and a productive afternoon with the furnace room. Just the evening was rough, and that was really only a rough half hour. Its just a hard thing to shake off, you know? I may take the day away tomorrow, but I’m not sure what I’d busy myself with. Not sure yet.
Once again, I feel the need to say that I love my son more than life!!! We’ll figure all this junk out soon. Maybe an earlier nap, maybe just learning about self control, maybe it’ll just take time. But I’ll be here, hell or high water!
<3 Dekker! Come rub cheeks with me!!