Pass the booze

"Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better." -- Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

Or at least that's what I've been telling myself today. Today was terrible. I think we went so far past FAIL that I kept hoping we'd circle around to WIN, but it didn't work out like that today.

It was typical toddler stuff -- tantrums about putting on pants, pages torn out of a book, the dreaded "WHY?" all day and crying and screaming -- mixed with me snapping at her while she gave me a blank stare.

"Oh this? You didn't want me to do THIS?" the stare seems to say. "I thought you didn't mean that one specific instance."

I expect to become very familiar with that stare as she gets older. "OH THIS CAR? When you said, 'Take the car and you're grounded for life!' I didn't know you meant this car. I thought you meant THAT car."

And you wonder why parents drink.

There's just some days when parenting is difficult. There's the urge to scream and shake sense into this tiny sociopath who doesn't understand basic manners. But you can't. Because you're the adult. You're supposed to lead by example and being an example doesn't mean you can go, "KNOCK IT THE FUCK OFF! WE DO NOT RIP BOOKS YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

Thankfully Jeff was around today (a head cold has been sweeping through our house, so none of us are doing great and he's been home sick), to bail me out. Even then it was difficult for us, because it's obvious that she's at the age where she's testing us. On occasion Jeff would give me a look as if to say, "THE HELL?" when Benevolent Dictator was acting up.

"This is my day," I told him. "Now you know why I have a glass of wine at night."

These days aren't frequent. They happen every once in awhile and they're tough. And I have to keep reminding myself that it's one day. Mr. Slinger, the teacher in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, was right when he said, "Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better."

I know it'll be better. But for now, I'm very glad Jeff's reading to our girl and I have the rest of the evening to watch this:



Yes. This is parenting a toddler.