Lauren was off-the-hook

Or is it off-the-chain?  Well, whatever the kids are saying these days, that's what she was this morning.

It's funny how kids teach us so much.  They think we are here to teach them when in fact the same is true of them - they are here to teach us as well.  I have learned a lot of lessons from my kids, too many to list actually.  I must say that probably my most valuable lesson came today, though.  Lauren unknowingly taught it to me while we were shopping at Target.  Ready?  Here it is:  Idiot kids don't always come from idiot parents. 

I am not an idiot parent.  I am the parent who disciplines.  I am the parent who expects manners.  I am the parent who is consistently consistent with everything.  I am the parent who reprimands and even spanks in public.  Yet, I am the parent who had the screaming kid today at Target.  I am the parent whose daughter took off her shoes and threw them down the aisle.  I am the parent who had to pick up an entire display of Tupperware that her kid knocked over.  I am the parent who is NOT an idiot yet seemed to have the idiot kid today.  It just doesn't make sense.  Right?  Oh, wait.  That lesson.  Yes, it does make sense.  Idiot kids don't always come from idiot parents.

Lauren is 2.  She's the baby of the family and she's treated as such, not to anyone's benefit however.  We're kind of finding this out.  For the last two and a half years if she's wanted something we've said, "Just give it to her so she'll stop whining."  I would have rather been run over by a bus than have said those words to or about Drew or William.  Honestly I think that with the fighting and arguing and noise in this house, I just want Lauren to shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Just stoppppppppppp.  Just be quiet.  Therefore, give the child what she wants so she'll not create more noise.  It's horrible and I'm embarrassed to admit it but I'm pretty sure that's the truth.  She's not been completely without lessons and expectations but she's been babied waaaay more than the other two ever were.  I'm wondering, naturally, if this contributes to behavior like today.  She just becomes this wild, primal being who does whatever the hell she feels like doing.  Is this that baby acting like an unruly idiot or is this her being 2 or is it a bit of both?  I can't control the 2 part but I can control the other.  I need to stop babying the baby so much.  

Back to Target:  While she was screaming, I called Chris to come get her.  I had shit to do today and leaving a carriage full of stuff wasn't one of them.  Thankfully he was able to come get her so I could continue shopping.  She was LIVID to be leaving and I literally plopped her in her car seat and closed the door.  Chris was in charge from that point on.  Apparently she screamed all the way home and then as he turned into our cul-de-sac she fell asleep.  She went from screaming to sleeping in two breaths.  By the time I got home she was fast asleep in her crib and here we are over an hour later and she's still asleep.  This is reassuring to me because it makes me think that maybe it's not her being the idiot kid and it's not her being 2.  Maybe she's getting sick.  YES!  Sick!  Maybe she's sick.  That would be awesome.  Whew.

So, in conclusion:  I finished my shopping list in peace, Chris is awesome for dropping his work to come get her, I'm hoping she wakes with a fever so I can be sure she's not the idiot kid, and, most importantly, I learned my lesson.  

Thanks, Lauren.  I love you so much, my baby sunshine.  But you better knock that shit off.