a small victory

Um, it's no secret that I have my work cut out for me with A.C.

Today I had a small victory ..within myself. In relation to A.C.

Here's the set up. We are going to take dinner to a friend who has just had a baby. I am stopping at Brewsters on the way to get some ice cream for her and her hubby (b/c we love Brewsters). So, I'm getting out of the car ... leaving the kids in the car. [ok. ok. the curb is right next to the window AND i left the car running ... yes, at $3.99/gallon and an SUV - i left it running]

T screams out the window ... "Mom can I please have some blue pop?" I give him the ... "maybe T ..." look.

I had the SLOWEST helper in the history of Brewster's scoopers ...so, I decided ...what's the problem with a scoop of blue pop for the kids? It's getting close to dinner and we aren't going to be home anytime soon. So, I get T's attention and give him the thumbs up. He tells A.C. Which, as expected, she yells out the window... "I Don't want blue pop! (of course not) I want ice cream!" -- why am I surprised?

SO, I give her the 'maybe A.C' look ... and wait again on the slowest scooper in America.

When it's time to order the stuff for the kids (free, by the way). I order T a blue pop and A.C. a vanilla scoop.

(ugh, this is getting long ..sorry!)

I get in the car and the drama ensues.

A.C.= "I wanted blue pop!"

Me = "No. A.C. you said that you wanted i/c. You got what you want! How about a thank you!?"

A.C. = "No, mom. I want blue pop" (tears)

Me= "You know what A.C.? You are ungrateful and you are acting like a brat. I won't have it in my house ... and you know that. You are now in timeout - which in the car means .. NO TALKING!"

I WAS FURIOUS! Like wanting to scream cuss words furious.

After a short prayer and a few deep breaths, followed by a few Alvin and the Chipmunk songs - and then David Cook.... I had my wits about me again.

I made the hard decision. I knew there would be tears. I knew there would be hurt. But, I remembered that learning the hard lessons - is sometimes going to be met with hurt. If I give in and let her 'try again Mommy. I'll do better .. give me another chance' - she will walk away remembering that she got the ice cream in the end.

So, she didn't get the ice cream. It went in the trashcan - and I won a very difficult battle. A battle within myself that I didn't want to win. I didn't want to see her little tears fall, I didn't want to break her heart. I didn't want to do that ... but, I didn't have a choice. I had to let her feel the pain of a mistake - and I told her .. "A.C., sometimes to learn a lesson - it has to hurt. In this case, this lesson of how to treat mommy (OR ANYONE!) is going to be a loss of priviledge for you. You made a bad choice in acting the way you did - and you have to learn. Learning is not always easy."

Ugh. It was hard, but she has been REALLY good for the rest of the day. The sassy mouth has been a little more 'in check'