Why Does Everything Embarrassing Happen in Public?

Specifically Trader Joe’s. Because let’s be honest, she could totally do these things at home but it never goes down that way.

I should start by saying that having a four year old is currently OWNING me. Anyone who said that the terrible two’s were bad obviously has only had one child who is still two and hasn’t had the lovely experience of dealing with a four year old. Don’t get me wrong, I love my child too much to even describe but GAHHHHH!!!! The attitude, the talking back, the sass, are out of CONTROL. Not to mention the fact that I feel like I’m on an emotional rollercoaster every day. I’ve literally never seen a single person cycle through so many emotions in such a short duration, like 10 minutes (I’m being generous, it’s more like 5 minutes). And yes, I discipline in a way that’s appropriate for her age and all of those things, I just know that this is currently a season and it’s not a season I’m enjoying overall.

Gone is my little girl with the occasional meltdown, replaced with a child who has a HUGE opinion and is articulate to a scary degree. Don’t get me wrong, she’s still the sweetest, kindest and most compassionate child I’ve ever met, but wow when she turns Dr. Jekyll she goes FULL ON.

One of the biggest things we’ve been contending with is the selective listening and follow through (yes this is a four year old and yes I know I’m screwed when she’s a teenager). I feel like I repeat myself SO much and now I truly understand why by the time you’ve repeated yourself 22 times, you’re not longer speaking in a calm tone of voice.

But of course the one time you don’t want them to listen is the time they actually listen. We were in a rush, granted that’s how I live my life lately, and I realized after I got my purse in the car that my keys were in my purse in the car and I almost locked myself out of my car. Thank goodness for fancy fangled key FOBS that won’t allow that to happen. Of course I was frustrated by the maneuver I pulled and uttered an “oh crap”, not even realizing that the kid was RIGHT THERE.

Yes I know there are worse curse words that can be uttered, but of course this was the one that Grace decided not only to repeat but to repeat on repeat. Of course in this moment she decided to become a parrot and then when I told her that only grown ups can say those words, she started in with “But I like crap”, “Crap is my favorite”, “Mommy don’t you like crap?”.

Insert smack my face emoji here. OF COURSE. She can’t seem to listen to anything I say, she can’t seem to do anything I ask without me getting upset but this one thing she nails on the first attempt.

Side note, yes she did stop but not without some convincing.