Monday & Tuesday & Today

Monday was the first day of school. I ran late getting the girls ready and we missed the bus. So I ended up taking them to school which is really what I should have done anyway. They had a good day and both girls said they like their new teachers. They came home with lots of things for me to sign and homework assignments. Between that and getting dinner ready, it was pretty crazy. Son was unhappy because the girls ran to him yelling "Son" and gave him hugs in front of all his friends. We talked to the girls about how 12 year old boys get embarrassed easily. Yesterday we had music lessons for D1 and Son after school, so it was pretty rushed when we got home. Both girls had a good second day. While D1 and Son were at their lesson, I took the girls to the store to buy some smaller jeans. All the ones I had received or bought were too big for them. But TODAY. Ugh. I had a hard time with D2 this morning. I'm still learning the best way to parent her and adjusting as I go. She was slow to come downstairs after I woke her up. I finally got her downstairs and she didn't want to eat her oatmeal. (I don't think I'm making oatmeal for her anymore). D3 loved her oatmeal and had thirds. THEN. After D2 ate her oatmeal, she told me she was going to throw up. I told her to run in the bathroom and throw up in the toilet. She ran in the bathroom, made a little gag sound, immediately flushed the toilet and came right out. She obviously did NOT throw up. But she was determined to claim she did. First of all, there was no splash. Secondly, a heave is a lot louder than the little gag she faked. Thirdly, her breath was fresh and sweet and had no vomit smell. I checked. But she insisted that she threw up. I told that I knew she didn't, she knew she didn't and God knew she didn't. I told her to just drop it and stop saying it and let's just go on and have a good morning. She never admitted the truth. When we got upstairs, I laid out all the jeans we bought last night and told the girls they could pick one to wear, and choose a sweater. D3 grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater and started getting dressed. D2 immediately said she wanted the ones D3 had. I told her that there were four other pairs just like D3's and to choose one. She didn't move. So I told her she had lost her chance to choose what to wear and I would pick. I chose some jeans and a sweater and told her to stand up. She didn't move. I raised my voice (this is where I messed up) and ordered her to stand up. She got up and started crying, but no tears, just her voice. I tried to comfort her and I put her on my lap and hugged her, but she continued to cry. Not knowing what to do since this was the first time I've seen her cry, and having no idea if this would continue for seconds or hours, I decided to just go on and get her dressed. She continued to cry while I dressed her and put her shoes on. I started talking to her about what we were doing and asking questions, and she would answer me but kept crying. Finally I told her that I needed her to listen to me because I had something to say. I told her to stop making noise, but she could continue to cry with no sound if she needed to. After a couple of tries, she finally stopped and listened. I told her that we had a bad morning today, but we could just start over from now. I told her that I shouldn't have raised my voice and I was sorry. I hugged her and told her that I will never hurt her, even when I get upset, and that I will feed her and care for her and teach her and love her and be her mommy. I also told her that I wouldn't make her eat oatmeal again. All through that drama, D3 just quietly got dressed and asked for help when she needed it. Yesterday, D3 snuck things to school without permission and then got grounded from those things. She had specifically been told not to take them to school. D2 was told that she could take her purse to school as long as it was empty. Today I decided to check their backpacks thoroughly to make sure I knew what they were taking. I was holding D2's backpack and I asked her if anything was in there that wasn't supposed to be. She assured me there wasn't. I checked it and sure enough there was her purse stuffed full of the things I told her not to take to school. So I took it and she gets it back in one day. And then they got on the bus and went to school. And then I went back home and called DH and told him the whole story. And he thinks I shouldn't have told D2 she didn't have to eat oatmeal. And I told him he needs to try doing my job in the mornings. It's tough right now.