That smiling face I snapped in late January which we know and love is not what we have been looking at today. Jerome is in a bad mood at the moment. The last week has been an emotional roller coaster at our house. Between teething, lack of sleep and other things going on with our schedules, everyone has been out of sorts.

Last night, Amira came downstairs crying and declared to us that her brothers didn't care about her. Rich put his arms around her and asked about the details, assured her that although they may not be playing with her and that he knew how that would hurt her feelings, he was positive that they cared about her. I think having a daughter is one of the best things that has happened in our marriage. Men learn a lot about women and how we think and feel by being sensitive to their daughters. Anyway, it turned out that her brothers were preparing a surprise for her and that was why they didn't want her with them at that point.

So, today Jerome got in trouble for playing with his brother's very loud birthday card from last year during school. After being told to put it away a few times. I removed it from him, and put it in the toy brig we have here (toys are freed on the Jubilee day which is Sunday, unless they end up there too often, then they just go away).

I head to the kitchen to get the dough ready for the rolls tonight and I hear Jerome say:

"I am mad at mommy!"

Amira, practicing her mothering technique, says to him "You get what you get, and you don't get upset." Clearly, we need to teach her that parenting is more about trusting your own instincts than books.

Jerome responds to her, "I do get upset!"

She tells him to watch out or he'll get in trouble or some other such advice, to which he replies:

"I want to be angry!"

Dominic and I, who were the furthest away, were trying to suppress our laughter. And, yes, I did talk to him about that attitude.

Labels: Family, Humor