Very Similar to a Public Flogging

So... this morning.... we're all set to go. I had that routine down again - breakfast orders as their eyes open, socks in boots, clothes laid out, back packs set to go, lunchboxes filled with soup, salad, chocolate milk, bottled water, peanut butter, etc. Everybody was having a great time, watching cartoons, running around, laughing, talking about their day at school (seriously, Enzo is going home with a friend so was excited and chatting about it, the little neighbor boy, Eli, was riding with us, so... again, everyone excited). I even had time to pack Marcello his beloved Peruvian Beef Saltado (family from Peru), which I stir-fried during that CRAZY dinner hour last night (and this one was a doozy - Lilliana lost a bottle of milk somewhere in the house, one of the fish died, I broke my shoe - I'm a barefoot / flip flop girl all year so not a real shoe, but... still, all the kids were fighting, no one wanted stir fry but me and hubby so I did breakfast for dinner - like in Coraline - for everyone else, though little ones wouldn't eat, I had to resort to putting the Wii on again....ugh...). Anyway, everyone zips up, grabs lunches, puts back packs on... heads out the door. I gave Milo his lemonade (that was his "breakfast" order) - Lilliana waves good-bye to him - Olivia starts to put him in his booster seat, then.... the "thunder cloud" face. He gets red - eyes fill with tears - he glares under his long, long bangs - he drops everything in his hands to the ground - he begins to growl -then he begins to rant (you didn't give me a cup - I don't like these little straws - no one listens....This is all a step up from when he used to point his crooked little finger at us and just say one word - "Never" - very menacing ;-) - then... he runs (the lap of rage, we call it). He takes off down the sidewalk - sharp left at the driveway - breakneck pace to the backyard, the whole time growling, ranting, yelling. Finally, his boots slow him down - hubby able to corner him - throw him over his shoulder and pin him into the car. Usually, he'll act like he's gone unconscious in the car - then whoever drives him that day will have to "fireman carry" him into the building (last week, he went into the school bathroom and sat in a corner, face to the wall, until hubby left - we are told AS SOON AS we leave, he is FINE - when I pick him up, he is excited and tells me he had a great day - AND this has only been going on since the "snow days". AND - 90 percent of the time, he is FINE by the time we get to school and wants to run in and "surprise" his teachers or takes his coat off running because he is so excited to get there - FICKLE FOUR YEAR OLD :-). Oh well - guess I know better than to give him the actual juice box - noted is the fact that I should put the liquid into another more acceptable container, which I did this morning, to avoid the "Mad Milo Syndrome". Pick your battles. Anyway... we'll manage - we always do.

Oh - and our "Winter Walk" yesterday turned into a springtime splashfest - great fun! Sipping coffee, I walked the sidewalk and HAD to have my sunglasses on - Milo and Lil splashed and climbed crunchy snow mountains. We all went inside to get dry and warm after quite a while out in the fresh air!

Photo: Would this angel face do ANYTHING like what I describe above? I think we all know the answer to that one.....