Oh, Kat. I've been through that. It's just parenting, special needs or not. They all have their own agenda once in a while, and it's incredibly frustrating.

I suggest wine, or chocolate, or screaming into a pillow.

I get why that's all highly aggravating, Kat, but that's not atypical behavior for a kid of her age.

You are not going to get gratitude from them for your extra efforts, nor will they be good sports or good troopers. I mean, sometimes they are, and then Halleluah, but it's mostly a big pile of pouting and wantwantwant and then I Hate That!

They're unreasonable PITAs as a matter of course.

Also, at four? They can be unbelievable assholes. It's part of the development process. My brother lately has commented frequently of Tyler's apparent dual personality. One of which he calls Satan. (At least with Dominic, we could call it Demonic??)

Satan is really really good at invoking the physical version of Demonic.

I've had them in the car with me at full demon. I pity you parents. I knew I could flee them, eventually. And screaming Aunt Sara performed an exorcism via laughter.

WTF is the point of even busting my ass to go?! When we were leaving, she walked over and picked up her ball, all smiles and walked off.

I watched a mom at Olivia's swim class spend nearly 20 minutes alternately cajoling, pleading and otherwise dealing with her son who refused to even get in the pool during class. He was crying the whole time and while she was coping (with an infant on her hip), I couldn't help but admire her tenacity. I would have given up and taken my kids home rather than put up with all that for the 10 minutes he ended up in the pool in the end.

You bust your ass because you know that she needs the physical and social part of the game. It sucks and it can seem like very little payoff at the end but it's worth it over the long run.

We both went to eat lunch at the school today for Eat With Your Kid day and Liv spent have the time pouting because she didn't like the lunch she chose. Oy.

They can be unbelievable assholes

I love this refreshingly honest observation! Little kids can be such complete assholes! I think it was Louis CK who finally pointed it out. If you were trying to go out but couldn't leave because one of the group refused to put on their shoes, you would say that person's an asshole!

They're cute assholes, though.

Cute is an evolutionary tactic. Keeps them alive.

Today is Wear Bodily Fluids day. Okay, it's not. It's Clutch Your Pearls day.

ALSO, finally (finally!!) a day where I'm dressed appropriately. Also, my worn bodily fluids aren't mine. The pearls are, though.

I need to stop buying tea at Teavana. They upsell me every time. At least this time it was just tea, and just the flavour I wanted...but so much of it!

Good things it's like crack and is low-caffeine.

I love Teavana and usually get the high caffeine. But I've put myself on a no-buy, which means don't even get close to the store. I have too much other tea in my house that I like also. Until it is gone, no expensive stuff for me.

I was just telling my sister about my plans for next summer's Great Britain trip, and she told me that I am now on a no-buy for the next 10 months, or at least a "think hard before you buy." I did indulge in a small Amazon purchase this week (took some stuff off my wish list), just a book and a few cheap computer games, and am just about to do a small iTunes shopping spree. I want to add a few favorite New Wave songs to my iPod--some New Order, Communards, and some REM.