Cranky

Despite being a bit chilly and grey, our day was actually pretty good for the kids and I.

We went to the park and met up with other families and all four of them seemed relatively content.

There was black forest birthday cake to eat, and I did, three pieces.
It was my drug of choice.
Although to be truthful I am doing better than I have been and my hive has been fairly low key. Not gone but better than it could have been.

As the afternoon wound to a close, there were only a few other parents and kids left at the playground and I had already made one trip home to drop off the two older kids, one older friend and two kids who wanted a ride to our neighborhood.

Made it back in ten minutes, thanked the Mom who watched my youngest too and headed off to make use of the nearby bathroom, just out of sight on the other side of the play structures.

There, I found my 8 year old daughter, barefoot, standing on top of one of the many tall picnic tables bolted into the concrete, preparing to leap four feet to another table.

I thought I was going to fall over.

It is important to note, that although I did raise my voice somewhat, I did NOT freak right out and shriek or anything of the nature.

Well, maybe I did, but I did it quietly and calmly, for the most part.
Something along the lines of :
"No you DON'T young lady! You come down off of there right now, put on your shoes and take your toys (she was supposed to be playing with her polly pock*et dolls with another little girl) and you go over to our blanket, that is where you are going to play now."

She was pretty startled, her eyes huge and she snapped to attention.

I checked that she understood why I was angry, oh yeah, and then ducked into the washroom.
When I came out, not two minutes later, there was Monkey asking me if I meant that she could n't play in the playground.

She had gotten over being cowed and was now mad at me for being upset with her.

Fun and not productive.

To say that she knows she isn't supposed to try crap like the table jumping is beyond understatement.

Maybe tomorrow we can try and talk our way through it.
Tonight was just a bust for anything like that.
I was too upset and her "I don't care" attitude was not going to make it any better.

The remaining time at the park was spent under my very vigilant eye (she didn't like that), then in her room till supper was ready and then to bed 45 minutes earlier than her next older brother (that was tough because they usually go at the same time).

It wasn't punishment, not really, I just had no idea how to react and needed to have her as far away from me as possible.

Jeez, that kid.