Tuesday, November 13th

I really need some help here. I am totally overwhelmed and depleted by this kid. Madison never went through the "terrible twos". She was really nasty at 3 (and now again at 6 - maybe it's a 3 year cycle?), but it wasn't the same kind of mischief that a 2-year old gets into. Maddie never wondered what was in every kitchen, hallway, and bathroom closet in the whole house like Sydney does. Madison was always pretty mellow and I hate to say the word - - obedient! Sydney is in the "no" phase, and copies everything that Maddie does, which at this point is not a good plan.

Today, while she was quiet in her room, which I assumed meant "napping", actually turned out to instead be "getting into major shit". I heard her crying that she had an "owie". I opened the door quickly, wondering what she may have bumped into and what body part needed kissing - a sweet but stupid little fantasy in my head. Instead I found her covered head to toe in Desitin - you know that creamy, white, oily, sticky zinc oxide butt cream? It had gotten in her eyes, which were now red and stinging, and her eyes were the least offensive place I found that fucking cream.

She had climbed onto the change table, emptied all the drawer contents and diapers, found all the creams (and there were several varieties in there), taken off all the lids and smeared them all over the diapers, the carpet, the change table, her toys, the wipes box, her clothes, her face, her hair, etc., etc. There were also several dozen wipes all balled up that she had used to aid in her smear campaign.

I gave her one bath and two shampooings. Kevin later gave her a second bath and third shampooing as we could not get rid of the flock of seagulls hairdo that was induced by the creams.

I know that I should be able to just laugh at little things like this. I know that this is supposed to be the best time in her life and that I am supposed to be so grateful that I can afford to take this time to be at home with her. I know that I am supposed to treasure these "precious moments", blah, blah, blah... BUT WHY DOES THIS JOB HAVE TO SUCK SO BAD???!!

Yes, it's not fatal. Yes, she, her room and it's contents are in fact washable. But god dammit I am SO done with cleaning up messes constantly!!! I cannot keep her in a time out at this age. I cannot lecture her. The only way I found to teach her that what she had done was wrong was to make her help clean it up, yell alot, and not let her watch a movie with Maddie. I don't think any of those things sunk in or made any kind of impact whatsoever.

What am I supposed to do? Install those stupid child locks on every cupboard in the house? B.S.

It wouldn't be so bad if I also didn't have to deal with Madison's daily meltdowns and generally nasty and negative attitude towards pretty much everything. If she is THIS bad at 6, what am I going to do when she is a teen ager? Where did I go wrong? How can I get a handle on this before it escalates? I'm drowning. I'm sinking. I'm starting to give up.