Fried

This morning, after I made breakfast I got a load of laundry going. Then I checked email, unloaded the dishwasher, put more laundry in, and OC and I went outside to work in the garden.

After lunch, we went back outside and worked in the garden again and also out front watering and getting an area ready to be landscaped with new plants and paving stones. We took a quick trip to the library, bank, and Home Depot.

The whole day, with the exception of part of the car ride and while in Home Depot, OC talked or sang. THE ENTIRE DAY.

Tonight, I was so annoyed that I cried while I washed the dishes and OC played in her room. Stupid, I know. It sounds ridiculous now. But my nerves were fried, my forehead was twitchy, my jaw was clenched, I had had enough. I sat down with her and read her four Angelina Ballerina books and then got her ready for bed.

I thought this went away once the kid grew up, because babies are notoriously needy beings. But a five year old? I thought they pretty much raised themselves. Or, at least, did so more silently.

I can't get any sympathy from my mom when I tell her about it. She just laughs and tells me, "She's exactly the way you were!" She says this a little too gleefully, I might add. This weekend we spent some time with OH's parents. My mother in law said the same thing about OH. (Dear God! What our biological children be like!)

On top of this, there have been more and more frequent episodes where she doesn't listen to me. When I ask her to do something, she argues with me. At first I liked how she was thinking for herself. It was creative, I thought. And as long as it didn't get out of hand I was fine with it. Now, it's becoming the principle of the thing for me. When I asked her to pick up her purse as it was getting wet in the stream of water that was coming down the driveway from the hose, she said, "It's okay if I just move it here." One inch away from the water. Twitch.

"No, I said, 'pick it up' so pick it up and let's go take it inside so it can get dry." AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I wanted to say, "Just do what I tell you and no back talk," because I totally understand where my parents were coming from with that.

All I want right now is to have an uninterrupted thought.

Everyone's in bed. It's silent in the house except for Dakota's sneezy breathing, and I'm too tired to think.