Raising Chloe

Remember when I used to give regular Chloe updates during her terrible twos?  You may think that she has since reformed and become a model citizen, so perhaps it is time for a look at Chloe at age 4.

Chloe brings me fresh challenges every single day.  Alex and Alyssa certainly have their own issues, but most of their quirks are cut and paste right from my own DNA.  Doesn't mean I love all the traits I passed on to them, but I do understand them, and can therefore predict their next move.  With Chloe I never know what I am in for next.

She is fiercely independent, and for months now I have battled with her sneaking out of the house several times a day.  When I bring her back in and make her stay in her room she screams angry words for 10 minutes, then promises to be good for 10 minutes and then 10 minutes later she sneaks out again.  If I try to tell her it isn't safe she tells me she won't go in the street and that if anyone tries to steal her she will just tell them, "I live here with a mom and a dad and I don't need to be stolen".

She fights with me about seat belts, and car seats.  She runs off in stores.  She refuses to hold my hand in parking lots. She throws her food away and then after she has had dessert she takes me to the trash and shows me that she never ate the food.  She doesn't even try to keep it a secret.  She doesn't even want it to be a secret.  She wants me to know that she won.  She sneaks treats and when I catch her she tells me dad said she could have it.  When I point out that he is at work and couldn't have granted permission she tells me that he has given her permission to always eat what she wants and do what she wants.  Once she was even bold enough to pull this line while Seth was sitting right next to me, where he could not only deny her claim but also punish her for lying.

This is just a small sampling of what I get each day with Chloe.  If she was just straight naughty, it would be easier, but she is also a charming little cuddle bug and we have so much fun together.  Even strangers are taken in by her.  People always tell me what a doll she is and if they see her acting naughty they smile and laugh and again reassure me that she is adorable.  I am sure you are reading this and thinking, what a brat! unless you know Chloe and then you are probably thinking, I LOVE Chloe.  Her teachers at school and church will tell me about her escapades and laughingly follow up with "I love Chloe".  She is fun, full of life, outgoing, etc., She has the whole wide world wrapped around her little finger and it makes my job really tough.

So yesterday while Chloe was in time out, can't remember if it was because of her 87th sneak out, or her 15th I don't eat anything but Doritos and bubblegum outburst, but no matter, she was in her room for something, and she was screaming YOU ARE A MEAN MOMMY!!!

When I let her out she calmly said it again to my face, "You are a mean mommy!"

I wished her luck finding a nicer one and she answered with, "I am not looking for a new mommy because you are still pretty and I still love you, but I just wanted you to know that you are mean."

Okay then, noted.

And perhaps another day I will take you inside the world of raising Alex and Alyssa.