Rage against the Machine

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage." Next come toddlers who act like c&*%s and then comes mom rage that makes us drink wine. ....has a nice ring to it, non?

Ok well it's my life right now. 'Terrible twos' as we've all heard it a million times, are challenging but at this particular moment in time, the Three's are just killing me. Please tell me I'm not alone?? I cannot even comprehend how someone can be so contrary, argumentative, defiant and nasty. Every single situation is like a land mine waiting to be stepped on. Every transition is a war of epic proportions.

I'm trying to keep perspective on the whole thing. Whenever a behavior has come my way that made me shake my head my mantra would be 'it's just a phase, everything is a phase, this will pass'. But seriously...this phase of challenging us on every.single.little.thing.we.ask. is getting really fucking old.

Lately, the challenges are so great and as the minutes wear on of trying all my strategies to encite some modicum of cooperation I feel my internal kettle getting hotter and hotter. I feel like their must be redness creeping up neck and steam beginning to trickle out my ears and I'm typically somewhere between wanting to physically overpower him or break down in tears and beg him to help me. I try to keep my cool. I try to take a big deep breath and not let this little brain get the best of me but I fail. I fail ALOT and then I feel guilty ALOT.

I don't have the benefit of experience to know ok, this is normal, it will pass so I seriously find myself wondering if there's just something wrong with him?! Why is it such a big fucking deal to take your pullup off when you wake up? It's wet, saggy and frankly - gross! Why is it such a huge deal to wear a pair of socks? Or get dressed? or put on shoes, or a coat? Why does every single thing need to become some sort of hostage negotiation crisis? I don't know how much more of it I can mentally handle with out going bat-shit out of my mind with rage.

Please, I beg of you, bestow your 'three year old snake charmer' wisdom on me! I need help!!!

xo Kristin