Kids, You Gotta Love em, right?

So my computer seems to be working fine. So far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Who knows if something will surface but I am kind of hoping that if it hasn't so far it won't. I'm just glad to have my laptop back.

That brings me to my ponderation for the day. Does it get easier by the time you have three? Perhaps a mom who has had more children than me knows. We are finding O somewhat easier in some areas and more difficult in others.

O was a dream baby up until 17 months or so. When he was a baby we could put him down at 7:00 p.m. with the girls and they all slept. Sure I had to get up and feed during the night but we had a relatively kid free evenings. Then of course, the separation anxiety thing kicked in and all hell broke loose for a couple of months.

Yet O seems to listen more. You put him on a time out (yes I time out my 2 year old), he might try and wiggle off the chair but a quick word has him sitting back on it pretty quick. The kicker is when he is done his time out he will then go and do what he's supposed to do.. apologize, pick up his toys whatever without a screaming fit and several repeats of the time out. Unlike the other two who still will to this day pitch a fit the minute I say time out. K and I are astounded and, of course, thrilled that the time outs seems to work for him.

Is it because he's the third? You know with the first you're just basically crashing around trying to figure out this whole parenting thing when to discipline, how much to let them get away with before you stop them etc. The second child things were a little easier especially since J didn't suffer from "first child syndrome". Oh it's a bonafide syndrome alright. I've talked to dozens of moms who's firstborns exhibit the same behaviour.

Or is it a complete fluke of personality? I don't know.

Then sometimes you wonder if you are winning the battle at all.

Take this morning. We know (me and K) from past history that O won't eat toast for breakfast although he repeatedly asks for it, he just smushes it up and leaves it on his plate. He will happily eat our breakfast though. Go figure. So I told him no toast even though his sisters are eating it. I'm sick of throwing it out on the off chance he "might" eat it. So I made him cereal and even threw in some fresh raspberries, something I know he likes. He eats one bite and then says he "no likes" and takes off. Fine. I'm going to make a stand with him. Something we've had to do with J. I should mention we never had this issue with E, she's a voracious eater.

Of course, corn flakes gets mushy when it sits in milk for any length of time. Sure enough though he comes to me.. "I eat", so I put the bowl on the table and tell him to eat his cereal. Of course, he's not happy about it but I turn my back and finish cleaning the kitchen. He starts to eat even though he's telling me "i no like". Finished he comes to me all done.

But before I can get to patting myself on the back that I've just won a small victory, I go to clean him up. He has smushy cornflakes all over both hands, his face, his shirt, his legs, his feet, the table, the chair etc. Oh, he's eaten it alright. He just made one hell of a mess.

So I guess it's Mom 1 O 1