Growing pains...

Wow, what a day for Grace. I'm not sure why but it seemed like Grace was working really hard to just "push buttons". And I feel so bad for her b/c when she's not "pushing buttons" she's so incredibly sweet. But boy when she is pushing buttons it takes nearly every part of me to not just LOSE it! Ugh!

For starters, she wouldn't take a nap - no matter how hard I tried. And trust me I tried to make her lay down, that I could do, but I can't make her sleep. So no nap. When Eva woke up we went to the castleto see Matt, while there Grace thought it would be a good idea to pour a cup of coffee down the living room vent! Although the house might look like a disaster to a 4-year old, the vent is hooked up to the duck work, so everything got soaked. I mean seriously, what made her think that was okay?

Then, once home I was working w/ Nanni to get dinner ready when disaster struck - again. The glass covers that cover the jen-air grill were laid on top of one of the burners. Nanni was heating up water for corn and accidentally turned the wrong burner on, the heat made the glass cover get too hot - which caused a mini explosion. Scared me to death, glass everywhere - so both girls were banished to the pack-n-play. Nanni, Poppy and I are working on cleaning all the glass up - I'm still shook up, Eva's screaming and Grace won't be quiet. I think she was making Eva more upset b/c she kept yelling for me, no matter how many times I asked her to just stay there and play w/ Eva, the glass could cut her.

Then dinner was just a circus, the girls ate a little early but then their food was trashed for fear of glass, cooking resumed and we ate late w/ Grace bouncing all over the place. I know this drives both Nanni & Poppy crazy. Matt was giving me the "I don't know how you stay sane look" so I decided to give in to Grace's requests to go on a walk. While on the walk Grace did REALLY well, listened the entire time... even to my "left-right" instructions, she's getting pretty good on knowing the difference.

When we got home - a popsicle for each girl in hand and headed up to the bath... no Grace. Eva gets in the tub, dancing to eat her popsicle... I start calling for Grace. Matt said she was potting in Uncle Rob's room.... still no Grace - after like 10 minutes, and a nearly melted popsicle she comes bounding up the stairs. I - w/ Mommy instincts heightened - felt like she was gone way to long to just potty. But Nanni said, "she had to go back and flush" so I let it pass... later in the evening I learn she was taking so long b/c she was busy writing her name on Uncle Rob's bathroom wall in INK! Good thing the Magic Eraser was invented b/c Nanni was able to remove it (just for the record, she did spell her name correctly!). From there the bath was uneventful, post bath I needed to put the medicine Dr. Paula prescribed on Grace's leg to remove the small growth. Dr. Paula was very specific about not putting too much on, or getting it on other areas as it will cause a blister. So when Eva was trying to assist I had to find someone to help hold her, when I came back I find that Grace has opened a second dose package and the medicine from it is everywhere. While I know she was just trying to help - I was SO upset. This is expensive ($250) medicine - and more importantly something that could cause her skin harm. I firmly told her she is not to touch things like that, she cried - I felt awful, still do. But I don't know what to do to teach her to listen, and to ask before using things that are not hers. It's not like I enjoy scolding her, but I don't know what this medicine can do in a short amount of time... we washed her hands and forearms thoroughly, but what if some was missed? Oh, I just find it so frustrating.

She then threw a fit about going to bed alone, wanted Matt in her room (he's been gone most of the week)... not sure if that has been part of why she's acting out or what. So once both girls are asleep, that's when I find out Grace wrote on the wall. Nice conclusion to the day - sort of summarizes things. Guess I need to take a deep breath and know none of this will matter in 5 years, or in 5 days - or hopefully even by tomorrow morning.