only because I want to remember it ALL

Wow, oh my gosh. We have a two year old. Seriously. Like overnight this kid has become a full blown terrorist.

Here's the cliff's notes:

Matt has meetings til well past bed time every night this week and school on Thursday, so I've been on my own. On Monday night bed time was a battle of wills. I thought Brooklyn was the most stubborn two year old ever, I think Ben is trying to up the anty. He climbed out of his bed 14 times after I had put him down for the night. Nothing was working. I can't force him to stay in his bed. So after Brooklyn was fast asleep and we had been doing this dance for almost an hour I heard his door open for the 15th time. I was in the kitchen so stood as quietly as I could and waited for him to come all the way out. He stood at his door and rustled around. Twenty minutes went by. Finally I heard him sucking much harder on his binkie so I came quietly around the corner to find this.

This is the definition of stubborn! I scooped him up, put him in his crib and that was the last I heard out of him until 5:15am. The time change has totally thrown him off. My theme, mantra if you will this month is "it's just a season". We are indeed in a season. A very trying, extremely emotionally draining one.

Here was my day yesterday.

Ben bit my forearm so hard he broke the skin at the mall, he then ripped my tank top and bra down flashing the entire apple store at the mall. I mean, literally showing e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

We came home and I put him down for his nap after lunch. I came back to our room to do something and heard Brooklyn yelling "mom!!!" I cam out to find Ben had pulled the costco container of grapes off the counter all over the floor. I tried to put him back down a handful of times to no avail and finally realized he would not be napping. The day unraveled a little more from there. Lot's of screaming and hitting. He tried to bite Brooklyn, got a hold of her hair and ripped a few handfuls out.

I heard the kitchen chair being dragged across the floor to come and find this scene.

Yes, that is him reaching for a knife. I snapped this pic and then grabbed him. This kid is a total nudist. I quite literally can't keep clothes on him.

I decided to make popcorn and put a movie on after Brooklyn did some school work as a reward (and to lighten the mood a little). This was the next scene to unfold. I am love having the ability to take pictures of these. As exhausted as I am at the time, I am so thankful to have these to look back on and laugh at. I am not going to lie, I cried a few times yesterday. Peppered in between this boys mischievous antics, he does a lot of screaming "NO!!" and "STOP THAT" and hits. I just want to cave and give in so bad, but I know that's not going to do anything but affirm the things we are trying to correct. It's just exhausting disciplining that kind of behavior for 14 hours straight. Can I get an amen?

 This was his way of getting up on the counter.

I mean, are you kidding me with this kid?!! Who does he think he is? Just lounging on our counter top, naked as a blue jay shoveling popcorn into his gullet. Unreal.

And I write this all with love because like I've said before, I want to remember this stuff...the extreme difficulty of it all...just like the good stuff. I want to be able to show this to Ben some day and say "see, this is why you are paying for your father and my trip to Europe".

I am so thankful for the wisdom and love of my friends. I have had more people offer to take my kids, help me out in whatever form I need or just listen to my rambling. It really does take a village. I walked into the garage yesterday after I totally lost my cool and quietly prayed "Lord, please help me" over and over and over. I know Ben is HIS, and therefore I need to seek what HE wants me to do about all these things first. I am trusting this is "just a season" and we will all come out stronger on the other side.

I am so blessed, and so thankful. I'm also so tired and so ready for a break :)