Monday, July 14, 2008

Captain Destructo Strikes Again

Lara has left her twos behind. She no longer kicks, screams, punches and scratches when she doesn't get her way. She has moved on. Now she is 3. Her new phase is characterized by destruction. Every day for the last week we have had some major mishap. Today she cut a big chunk of her own yellow tresses off of the top of her head. I think her new nickname will be Spike. Yesterday she grabbed hold of a pencil and wrote all over the walls which were newly cleaned of crayon (that Magic Eraser is really awesome!). Last week she found a bottle of yellow acrylic paint, opened it in her room during "naptime", and poured it all over the floor, fingerpainting her limbs a lovely shade of maize. It was reminiscent of the jaundice during the first days of her life. Still haven't gotten it out of the rug. She broke the pull strings on the blinds in her room, and I have no idea how to fix them. I have removed and washed her sheets at least twice in the last week because she got marker all over them (thanks to Grampa Chris for the ultra-washable Crayolas! They seriously washed right out). She also colored her arms blue the other morning while I wasn't looking. (Also came right off in the bath- the water turned instantly blue). I keep thinking I've removed the problem, but she keeps finding things in places I didn't look. Now the door to our room has been locked, and it will remain so, and everything potentially destructive will go in there until she is 18.

We are putting her in preschool 2 days a week starting in September. I figure the tuition should make up for the cost of the household items she won't break during those hours in the morning.

8 comments:

Anna Farley said...

It's gonna be fun when you come to visit:)

Shannon said...

You need to tape her down. With duct tape. She's unstoppable. You might want to check for a 666 in the new bald spot on her head...you never know. I'm just sayin'.

I accidentally left a pencil in Asher's room last week, and when we went in, there were scribbles all over three walls. But it was just pencil, and you are right, Magic Erasers really are magic. Even Adam was amazed.

Preschool is definitely a good idea.

Carynanne said...

Yes, Anna-- I'm leaving them both with you and flying to Tahiti.

No, really. I'm financing it through the money I made by forwarding that email you forwarded me. You know, the one where Microsoft and AOL are testing their Beta servers. I got this huge check... Don't know how they got my address... ;)

As far as Lara goes-- I don't know what to do with her. Spanking her does nothing. She cries because it hurts, but then when I stop she looks up at me like nothing happened. I've put her in the corner and it evokes no emotional response. It's like there's no way to punish her. I seriously don't know what to do with her.

Anna Farley said...

Yeah, I thought that was a pretty hilarious email, especially since it mentions about five times that it "is real and not a joke."

Colleen said...

The hardest part about punishing a child like Lara is that it doesn't seem to phase her at all. Even duct tape was a game to you all! (remember the lips you drew when I taped your mouths?)

All I can say is you have to be consistent and persistent, and eventually you will find what 'works' with her. She's too young to reason with, and too strong-willed to dominate, so you have to find her 'buttons' and use them while you teach her self-control. With you it was easy; all I had to do was explain and you understood, but that doesn't work with everyone.
I know that's not much, but really, it's more trying on you. Lara will be just fine as she grows up - if you survive! :)

Mrs. F said...

I heart magic erasers! They work on most everything. Except perhaps the time when Marissa was 3 years old and poured nail polish on our laptop.

They also did not work when she flushed an entire 500 count box of Q-Tips (not the box, just the q-tips) down the toilet in our rental house. Yeah, we had to buy a new toilet. No magic eraser could have saved that potty.

Magic Erasers also do not work when you leave a box cutter lying around and thankfully the only thing to get cut is your brand new $200 computer screen (it could have been fingers or toes, so yes, thankfully just the computer screen) (Also? The boy did this one) (Also? LOVE USAA for replacing it!)

I was going somewhere with this. No, maybe I wasn't. Gotta love those 3 year olds though. And? Preschool is a saving grace that mommies NEED.

Mrs. F said...

P.S. Hide all your scissors. Even the kiddy scissors, those can still cut hair...Marissa has chopped off her locks at least 3 times (it may be 4 times)...twice with those Kindergarten scissors.

Carynanne said...

I'd like to know what people did with their 3-year-old 500 years ago when they lived in tents in the woods in northern Germany. I don't imagine they had preschool. What did they do with these curious little people when there was no school to send them to?

Good to hear from you, Mrs. F:) I checked out your blog and will respond to your posts when I have more than 5 seconds between baby and preschool screamies.

Greetings all from sunny Flawrida!