Payton Pushing Her Limits?

Where is my happy-go-lucky girl?  I'm hoping this is just a phase, but ever since last Friday (when I was sick, Brian had to drop her off at school, and she cried) she SCREAMS when I drop her off at school.  She has always loved school, loves her teachers and friends, and has always been excited to go.  She tells me all about her day, and even tells me if she gets in trouble, which hasn't happened in a long while.  But for the past several school days, she hasn't walked into her room.  She's had to be carried. And she screams.  And the teachers have to pry her tiny little fingers off the door jamb to get her in.  For a mom to see this is absolutely gut-wrenching.  I never want to make my children unhappy, or see them upset.  It makes me question my parenting.  My interactions with her.  Are we doing something wrong?  Or is this just a phase she's working through?  She's very vocal, and can say just about anything to us...we discuss her feelings, what she did in a day, etc, so it's not like she can't tell us what's going on.  Yet, she doesn't.  She just says she will be sad if she has to go.  She'll cry.  Once she's in the classroom, and she settles down, she has a blast. Same thing with ballet.  She cries there.  Tells me she doesn't want to go back.  So, I made a decision this past Wednesday.  I am not going to keep fighting with her to go, and I don't want her to disrupt the fun of the other girls.  So, I told her SHE had to tell her teacher she wasn't coming back.  She asked me to do it, but I told her it is her class, her teacher, and she needed to take that responsibility.  So, we went.  Her little friend, Mariah, was there.  Payton was immediately happy and excited to be there.  Would she really go into the class now??.....we got inside the building, and she wouldn't leave the front lobby.  I finally got her down the hall, and she just sat.  She was NOT going into her room.  Griffin, on the other hand, was dancing his tail off, watching himself in the mirror, and having a blast playing with Mariah.  So, Payton and I sat.  And waited.  Her teacher, Miss Nickie, finally came in and Payton told her.  Miss Nickie tried to talk her into coming in, but Payton pouted.  So, Griffin, Payton and I watched the other girls from the hall.  Eventually, Payton decided to put her ballet slippers on (by herself), then she got on the floor (still in the hall), and started stretching with the others (from the hallway).  Slowly, after a little reverse psychology from mommy, she got the nerve up to go in, and SHE HAD.A.BLAST.

(UPDATE:  This morning, Friday, she was excited for school, and ran inside, dumped her bag off in her cubby, and acted normally.  Maybe she was just not feeling well last week?  But, YAY!!)

Also, she's been fighting going to sleep at night.  Not necessarily going to bed, but she is having trouble falling asleep.  We go through our routine (brush teeth, read books, flashcards, then prayers), and I leave the room.  Within 5 minutes, she's up with some excuse.  "Mommy, I'm coughing.  I need cough medicine."  Or, "Mommy, I have a fever.  I need medicine."  Maybe we are placing too many responsibilities on her? Maybe we expect too much from her?  Or it could be that the "Mavela Stop" I've been putting on her thumbs is WORKING!!  This is a polish that tastes extremely bitter, and is a stop-aid for thumb sucking.  It may be a rough couple of weeks, but I think we are making progress!  She will need to learn a different way to soothe herself to sleep.  In the meantime, I won't ever stop pushing our kids to learn, help, follow directions, and listen.  She's almost 3.  It's time for her to be a "big girl" now. I'm chalking this ALL up to her trying me.  Pushing her boundaries.  Seeing how far she has to go to get her way.  This is a phase.  I'm sure of it.  A frustrating one, and I'm sure, one of MANY to come, but we'll get through this, just like we will in the future.  Payton is a good, very smart girl.  She's growing up way too fast!  (ANOTHER UPDATE:  She seems to have stop sucking her thumb, so far, and is learning to fall asleep better.  She didn't get up last night once put in her bed...again, YAY!)

SHE tucked her babies in beside her, and NO thumb sucking...baby steps :)

Here she is watching the Ellen show, with her two favorite "mini-celebrities,"  Sophia Grace and Rosie from England...they sing in tutus, and so Payton must sing in hers:

In other bad news, I finally got the "plague" last weekend.  I had it for a total of 6 days, and lost about 7 pounds (not a bad diet, eh?)  I felt like I had barbed wire in my intestines.  It was a nasty little bug.  I guess it was my turn, and I got it bad.  Really bad.  Payton was SO sweet when she would "take care of me."  I had to miss the kid's Valentine's Dance at their school.  Daddy took them.  Look how adorable they were...(and as you'll see, Daddy took tons of pictures, so I kind of feel like I was there :)

Choosing Tattoos

Checking out the ladies

They got to decorate sugar cookies...the best part?  EATING her creation!

Dancing with her boyfriend, Fynn

If there are cornhole boards, Griffin is going to find them!

Yep.  She does the limbo like her momma!

"Atta girl!"

Payton with Lin, Walker, and Robert Leslie

Look at those long legs!

Dancing Queen!

King and Queen?

The kid's Valentine's week of fun...

Learning to dribble...

Forget it.  I'm doing pilates instead!

Always climbing on the dogs...but they love it!

Griffin LOVES books.  LOVES to "read" them.  Must get that from his Daddy :)

Watching "ABC" songs on the iPad...Griffin asks to hear his ABC's ALL the time now.

Wednesday night was one of the biggest basketball games of the year...UNC at DOOK.  It came on a 9pm.  During the second half, I heard Griffin crying loudly (hey, we were winning at that point, so no jokes there ;)  So I went to get him...I eventually figured out, through a process of elimination and him telling me he wanted to go upstairs, that he was thirsty.  Well, after having some water, he was all smiles and wanted to join us watching the game.  So, we headed to our bed for a bit.  He enjoyed it, as it wasn't until he went back to sleep that we started losing.  Next time, Griffin, I'm keeping you up!  You are my little good luck charm!

So, not much fun has been going on for us lately.  Just trying to get well, trying to get our house ready to go on the market, train for another half marathon, and have lots of family time. Brian and I did manage to go out to dinner on Valentine's Day, so that was nice.  Granddude and Nana kept the kids so we could enjoy ourselves...and boy did I need that!  Brian got me some really cool, chunky necklaces for Valentine's Day, which I love!  Here's one of them:

Speaking of Granddude and Nana, Granddude has a new nickname.  When Griffin tries to say Granddude, it comes out "Doo-Doo."  It's super cute, but I'm pretty sure "Dude" is NOT flattered.  I wonder what Great "Doo-Doo" thinks about it, lol! Don't worry, "Dude," I'm sure he'll be able to say your whole name in no time!  Plus, how could you not love anything that comes out of this little one?

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones!  Here's to spring flowers, warm weather, and WELLNESS!  (Well, I may have one more snowboard trip up my sleeve before all that)...Cheers!  Here's a cute video to leave you with...Griffin eating his Fruit Loop necklace: