Readjustment

Today was a rough day in Household Brown.  After Sidney's joyous welcome to our return yesterday, I had had visions of a quiet family weekend just spending time together.  Alas, it was not to be.  While yesterday Sidney was filled with hugs, telling us he was happy we were back home, and clinginess, today was the opposite.  His behavior had us wanting to immediately return to the airport.

Glenn and I had returned from Germany determined that we were going to jump right into potty training with both feet.  Using the toilet has been a battle of the wills between Sidney and ourselves over recent months with Sidney having the upper hand but we had decided that we were now going to take control of the situation.  The solution? Nothing but underpants in the house.  We suspect that his diapers are too good and his lack of discomfort with a wet diaper isn't enough of an incentive to use the toilet.  Sidney was all smiles this morning but that smile soon turned to tears when I put his underpants on him.  Instead of liking his new Lightening McQueen underwear, he hated them.  As in refused to keep them on his tiny tushie and went to his wardrobe to take out a new diaper.  Not wanting to have bad associations with using the toilet we switched back to a diaper with a mutual agreement that tomorrow would be all about wearing underwear.

This morning was filled with typical Saturday activities.  Playtime, grocery shopping, and playground time filled the morning hours with the only moments of unhappiness coming when Sidney realized that both Glenn and I were not in the room with him.  I chalked this up to the fact we had both been gone for the past week; it is a rare occurrence that we are both gone and never for a full week.  The afternoon was filled with temper tantrums intermingled with happiness.  This was more than the usual three year old mood swings.  One minute we would be reading together and the next I was being pummeled with tiny fists.  Sidney spent most of the afternoon throwing toys and generally turning his playroom into a chaotic mess.  He is usually good about eventually picking up his toys but his refusal today resulted in the removal of all of his matchbox cars, his play kitchen, and his collection of "friends", six stuffed animals he takes everywhere with him.  (He actually threw the friends away saying he didn't want them any more.  We've secured them in a safe place for the time he decides he wants them back).  But then in the next minute he was remorseful and cuddly before returning to being an over the top three year old terror.

Tonight's dinner was a disaster of flying food, crying, and refusing to eat.  Sidney was quick to "help" me in the kitchen and for a moment I thought he had forgiven us for our absence.  But then the bad behavior would return.  Time outs in the corner were filled with crying followed by apologies then a few moments of peacefulness before a return to more bad behavior.

By this point in the evening both Glenn and I feel battered and bruised; literally and figuratively.  Right now I'm longing for the reemergence of my sweet little boy or even  a return to the "terrible twos" which in hindsight, were actually pretty easy.  I know Sidney isn't happy that we went away but as promised, we returned.  We don't have any solo trips planned in the near future and now I'm questioning the wisdom of planning any.  While I know we can't let a little three year old rule our lives, whether we like it or not, he does.  I know things will get better and easier.  They have to.  In the meantime, I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a better day all around and it will include wearing underpants.  

A happy day in Budapest last month

P.S. I would welcome any advice on how to successfully potty train boys.  We've tried it all and keep striking out!