A Bunch of Bulls

Chops and I have been at it all week. I really didn't believe it was possible to be so at odds with my own flesh and blood son. Sure, he is smack in the middle of those terrible twos. It seems everything lately is preceded by a whine or a NO. I consider myself a fairly level, well educated woman who can certainly handle whatever a careening toddler chooses to deal me. But, I never banked on how deep he can sink those claws under my skin. I have been thinking about it all week, in between mostly one sided arguments with Chops, who miraculously loses his hearing if I ask him to do something as simple as sit in his carseat so I can strap him in before we get moving.

I finally have it figured out. The astros are closing in on us. Meaning, I think this might be an astrological symptom. He is a Taurus. I am a Taurus. Two of our strongest traits are stubbornness and bull headed tempers.

Ah Ha!

That combined with his particularly hideous age and stage, combined with my lack of sleep and mounting stress over the upcoming holidays...and we now have the whole reason why our quiet suburban house is in serious danger of erupting into toxic spouts of lava tears and shouts.

I'm really not being dramatic or overreacting. This week alone, Chops and I have probably averaged three epic battles every twenty minutes. That makes for a very long day when he refuses to nap, which is like every day.

Yes, I can take some measure of comfort in the fact that he will someday outgrow these devious days of toddlerhood. But Chops and I will never outgrow being stubborn bulls, always butting heads in our epic battle of wills. Who will win out? I'm really not sure at this point. All I know is that this bull needs a serious vacation.