A weeknight.

"Miss Monkey, your food is on the table."

I proceed to eat my dinner, along with Toddleator E, and 25 minutes later the Firstborn's food is untouched.

"Your food will be on the table for 20 more minutes," while explaining what that looks like on the clock facing the table where she sits.

Time elapses as I hit the kitchen duty, I watch the clock.  Time is up, I go to the table and remove her plate.

Oh, but she's "not fed", she's "still hungry", "this is bullsh*t!", "you're not my momma!"...later after she's in her room, more "sh*t" and creative insults thrown about.  Some banging and thrashing occur.  I offer her a empathetic hug, she refuses, she's just too too angry with me.  I prepare the Smaller of The Two for bed.

The Man was late coming home last night, soon after I greet him at the door he can hear the lamentable screaming and cursing emanating from Miss Monkey's room.

Eventually she quiets because she passes out.  Later I try to assist her to get into pajamas but she refuses, thrashing at me in her sleep.  Of course, she's awake at some silly hour scoping food in the pantry, then ends up asleep on the couch, where we found her this morning with a jar of peanut butter.  Consequence today that she's been less than pleasant and has to take a nap before gymnastics. Oh, and when The Man heard her insulting me he decided to enforce the "no sweet things out, no sweet things in" rule...for the next 4 days (and then some with what I heard enforcing rest time).

Last night was fairly easy, but today has been hard because I was awake last night as well.  Tired mommas do not parent well, we resort to yelling.  I do not like to yell. At the same time I loathe to be on the recieving end of crappy behavior while everyone else outside gets to see the sweet-girl (save her coaches, that is), and when I've had enough, I have had enough.  It's progress, not perfection though---and I have progressed so very far.  Here I go, growing forward.

And when she wakes from nap, she's a different person. Sweet and cooperative, easy going nature returned.  The evening ends amicably after gymnastics and dinner, she's back to "normal".

Sheesh.