Small Pinpricks of Light

It may be more than 4.35 light years away, but I'm starting to see some light at then end of the tunnel with this three-year-oldness.

Mealtime:

"Look at this yummy food mommy made. I put lots of tomatoes on it, because you like tomatoes. Let's eat."

"This is gwoss! I hate it!" Hannah pushes her bowl away without tasting it, folds her arms and says, "I will neveh! eat this yucky stuff. Neveh!" (She doesn't pronounce her 'rs' yet.)

"Fine," I say maybe rolling my eyes a little. "After dinner I'm going to eat a bowl of ice cream. How about you, Mike? Ice cream? Mmm. Kenzie is eating her dinner; we'll have some ice cream together. Do you want some ice cream Hannah? You have to eat your food if you want some."

Sad, popped-balloon sigh, "Okay Mommy."

Bedtime:

"Hannah, it's time to go to sleep. Let's go get our jammies on."

In her whiny three-year-old accent Hannah says, "I am tired of going to sleep! I will neveh! go to sleep!" She folds her arms and flips her hair. "I will neveh!"

"Well Hannah if you don't get your jammies on, I'll put you in bed anyway and I'll shut the door. Let's go get your jammies on."

She drops her head and says, as if I have sucked her will to live, "Okay mommy."

I'm trying very hard not to engage her in those fun power struggles we have, but sometimes I still escalate the war to the point of yelling, "And you're not going to college, either!" But this "Okay Mommy" stuff? I am loving it. Next, we'll work on cheerful compliance.