Meltdown & Preakness

Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Weather Boy. What do they have in common? Meltdowns.

Weather Boy freaked out on Sunday while Grandma and Papa M were at our house before we planned on going to the Poway Train. It all started when Weather Boy wanted to go back to playing a computer game. I told him we needed to go to the train, and he wouldn't let go of the mouse. I warned him to let go of the mouse or have a timeout. He wouldn't let go of it, so he went to his timeout corner. He was screaming and crying and wounldn't stay in his timeout corner, so again, I warned him. He left his timeout corner again and so off to his bedroom we went.

He wouldn't stay in his bedroom so I warned him, again, that if he didn't stay in his room, we weren't going to the train. He wouldn't stay in his room, so I warned him again, no golf cart. By this time, I walked away because I started getting heated, and sat on the couch. Weather Boy kicked and scremed. I tried to get him in his room again without luck, all the while at intervals sat with him and tried to talk to him to see what was going on. I kept asking him if he knew what he was doing wrong and if he was sorry. The anser was a defiant, "NO!"

We continued to struggle when Weather Boy said he was hungry. I told him we could eat, but we would have to go back to his room if he didn't tell me what he did wrong and that he was sorry. So he ate a little and calmed down quite a bit. During his lunch, I asked him if he knew what he did wrong. He immediately said, "I didn't listen to you." The little bugger knew all along. He said he was sorry, and I told him I forgive him and love him.

I'm sure I broke every rule of parenting. He is hard-headed like his mother. I was glad when it was all over so we could get on with fun. We ended up playing in the kiddie pool with Grandma and Papa M watching. Drewbie had a longer nap than normal in the morning but he still slept 2 hours and 45 minutes in the afternoon, and so did Weather Boy. I enjoyed the break after lunch my Grandma and Papa.

Saturday we went to the aquarium and spent more time looking at people than fish, but everyone had fun. Weather Boy had a short nap and woke up just as the Preakness was about to start. I'm not a big horse racing fan or gambler, but with afternoon naps the last few years, I've seen the major races on TV.

Weather Boy enjoyed seeing the horses run. He was asking what they were doing, and I told them they were racing like we do sometimes. I was pretty surprised like everyone else to see Afleet Alex, stumble. It was shocking to see him win, and the story of his namesake is pretty inspiring.

The weekend was a nice enought distraction for me to forget about my boss leaving the company as of Friday. Now, on to the new adventure at work without him.