Jekyll and Hyde

Yesterday I was fully convinced that my kids were either bi-polar or in dire need of an exorcism. There was no other rational explanation for their behavior. My kids are far from saintly but yesterday pushed the envelope. And, of course, it was the first time for a new babysitter. Normally, my kids loves babysitters. They are young, fun and energetic girls who devote all their time and energy to them (and get paid handsomely). They are not distracted by dishes, laundry, phone calls or other mundane household chores. Their one and only job is to keep my kids happy, alive and entertained.

Christian woke up from a 3 hour nap beyond fussy and inconsolable. He had no clue what he wanted and nothing was going to make him happy. Sara tried to help but that fueled his rage to new heights. When she pushed my buttons and got in trouble for doing so, she pretty much laughed in my face. The laughter stopped abruptly when she lost ALL bedtime privileges. Sorry, kid. Mommy means business. Christian had barely simmered down by the sitter's arrival. I escaped amidst a flurry of apologies for his less-than sunny-disposition. She assured me he calmed down and the night passed smoothly. When arrived home, he was distraught because they had not had the promised sand box time. No problem. I paid the sitter and send her on her merry way (hoping she is brave enough to return) and take the kids out to the backyard. A sand throwing fight ensued. We now have a nice little sand trap to accompany the golf course that backs up to our yard. Bath and bedtime were, in short, a traumatic, sobbing, chaotic mess. For all of us. Finally, kids are in bed and mommy is happy. Not for long. My 2 year old normally rolls over, hugs his stuffed horse and isn't heard from again until 7 a.m. Last night, he started fussing at 11 pm and didn't stop until 3 am. No, he wasn't sick, wet, dirty or any other reasonable possibility. I know because we checked him more thoroughly than an expert pediatrician. I'm not sure if it was a full moon or he is going through male menopause, male PMS or just wanted to mess with us. Thankfully, today was better. We even made it to the zoo without incident and no one was fed to the lions. I've been lulled into a false sense of security. I'm going to enjoy the ride as long as it lasts.