Later in the day...

Since writing about the plans I had for my day to celebrate my beloved's birthday, I must confess that as fuzzy as it all sounded it immediately went south for winter.  Oh, I don't mean my plans changed, rather my attitude.  Just after pressing "Publish Post", my voice changed into the dulcet tones of a banshee.  For those of you who don't know, a banshee, as defined by our dear Webster, is a female (that portion applies) spirit (not so much) in Gaelic folklore whose wailing (there was some of that) warns a family that one of them (focused primarily on my son, Jeremiah) will die soon.  Actually, I wasn't doing so much of wailing, but screaming in earnest that something better change or, in the words of my beloved's mother, "There will be a death in the family."

I mean, seriously, it is snowing outside and it is breezing cold (yes, "breezing" was meant to imply another adjective) and he is refusing to wear his hat.  I finally said, in a fit of temper, "FINE! DON'T WEAR IT," and I snatched it off his head.  Then, of course, his brain twitched and said "Wait, I WANT my hat... don't take it away from me"... a perfect example of reverse psychology, but unfortunately that hadn't been my intent since I'm really not that intelligent when I'm angry.  So I keep taking it back from him and saying he can't have it and I finally stomp out of the house (very gracefully) and slam the door (angelically) saying he gets to stay home alone.

I know, I know... you don't have to tell me that it is illegal to keep a 4-year-old home in the kennel with the dog unsupervised (like I actually keep him in the kennel supervised??) or even that it is a mean-spirited action to make a child think you'll leave him behind.  But can't I act like a child every now and then?  Okay, fine.. I know I shouldn't; but it is so tempting when all I get is whining about how he doesn't want to wear a hat and then as soon as I give him what he wants, he wants what he can't have.

We did reconcile.  He chased me out of the house and I explained (calmly, this time) that he needs to trust me, because wasn't the hat a good idea after all?  I'm not about to make him do something that isn't good for him.. I only want to take care of him because he's my boy.

"How much more will your Father who is in heaven  give good things to those who ask Him?" (Matt. 7:11b)