The One In Which I Pay For My Raisin'

Yesterday we were getting ready for church.  As a side note here, I have no idea how families with lots of little ones actually get to church with open hearts and minds.  I am always a nervous wreck most Sunday's trying to get there and I have some really good help.  It's just knowing you have to be somewhere by a certain time and that everyone has to look their best.  To heck with how we feel I guess.  So anyway, I got a shower and Sid threw Bailey in the tub.  When I got out and got dressed, Bailey was already ready to go except for being dressed.  (SEE, good help!)  I went to put on my make-up and dry my hair while Sid went to get a shower and get dressed.  She usually plays in the bathroom while I get ready, and nothing was different about this morning.  She had the hairspray bottle and started banging it on the bath tub.  I looked at her and said, "Stop doing that.  It's loud and you are going to tear something up."  So what did MY child do?  She went over to the bathroom door and started banging the hairspray bottle on the bathroom door.  Again, I turned around, looked straight at her and said, "If you hit that bottle on the door one more time I WILL spank you."  She held it out and looked at me as if to say:  You know I'm about to do this mom!  I reminded her one more time, " I will spank you if that bottle touches the door."  She got a little closer.  I said, " I will spank you, Bailey."  And what did she do???  Yes, she did!!!!  She reached out with that hairspray bottle and ever so lightly tapped the bathroom door.  So what did I have to do???  Exactly what I threatened 3 or 4 times prior to this, which was to spank her.  She really didn't cry all that much because we all know it hurt me way more than it could have ever hurt her.  So, when she was quite, I heard the music play for the TV in the den.  A guy was singing and he sung something like, "I'll be payin' for my rasin' if he's anything half like me."  I stood think to myself, yes God I get it.  I get it that I was not nor have not been the perfect daughter.  That I have caused/do cause anxiety and madness, anger.  But I also know that I bring a lot of love and joy and life to this place.  Just like my Bailey.  She is her Mama's daughter and she gets it honest.  Knowing how this could all end up, I tend to be a little more harder on her than I probably should be. 

Side note:  As I'm typing this in the bedroom, Bailey and Sid are in the den.  We have a big heater of some kind in there that rolls and sits on the floor.  It's a big box and Bailey loves to sit on it and play.  We don't let her do this if it's hot, but the even if we did, the outside doesn't get hot, it just blows hot air out.  Anyway, she is in there just beating on that thing while Sid is trying to talk on the phone.  I think this brought about spanking number 3 since bath time.  It's going to be a long 25 years. 

So anyway, we have always taken Bailey with us to big church and not left her in the nursery for several different reasons.  1. We already leave her at the same place 5 days a week for daycare and I don't like to leave her a 6th morning at what she considers to be school.  2.  I just feel that small children should learn to sit for an hour and listen in church.  Sure, alot of this goes over their heads, but I feel the sooner we start the rules in church, the sooner she will learn them.  And she does know them, but she apparently has forgotten that things are not always her way.  I can handle her in church but I don't want the other people to be bothered by her.  3.  For so long, we were usually here a week, gone a week.  Sid works every other weekend, so it was just never a good time to start her off in the nursery. 4. Church falls right during her nap time, she we usually can get her to go to sleep and then there's nothing to worry about.  5. I'm an anal mother and worried about her being hungry in there, or whatever.  Stupid I know, but I can't help it.  ((((Side note:  My mom says Bailey and I have too much of an attachment to each other, that Bailey is too much of a Mama's Baby.  I don't really think that's such a bad thing, except when I go to leave her in the nursery and I do fine, but she doesn't.)))  So we've just always taken her with us.  And she has done really good.  But I can see it coming and I told Sid we just needed to bite the bullet and send her in there.  We took her this past Sunday and she did great.  She never even turned around to tell her bye. 

So, when we got up to the santuary and got seated, all the little ladies we sit around (we've always sat at the back in case we needed to take her out) wanted to know where Bailey was.  They say they love to see what she is wearing is each Sunday and how big she is getting.  We've sat at the same place for almost 2 years now.  Now, keeping in the mind the morning we'd had the whole "testing me with the hairspray bottle thing", they lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder on asked where Bailey was and I told her the nursery.  She said, awe, I just love watching her on Sunday mornings.  You have done a great job with her.  You have taught her well.  I said, yeah, well, she turned 2 and her will has emerged so it's time to have some nursery time.  The lady commented again how well behaved Bailey had always been and how she made it in big church way longer than any other child she'd every seen. 

This made my morning, becasue I do try.  I do want Bailey to be a well behaved child.  And I do want people to look at me and say that I am a good mom.  To me and Sid and say that we are good parents.  And don't think that just because I have to spank her she does not have me or Sid wrapped around her little finger.  She has this new thing where she wants her ears, feet, and booty rubbed while she's falling asleep.  Most people just want their back scratched.  Not my child, she wants odd things scratched.  It's rather funny.  But that's also why my mom says that Bailey and I are too dependent on each other.  Bailey will spend the night with Nene, but when we are at my Mom's she will not sleep with my mom anymore.  She HAS to have me in the bed with her.  I think the only reason she spends the night with Nene is because I'm not there.  But who knows! 

At school, Bailey's class has stopped walking on the rope to go places.  I don't really know how they get from place to place and I really don't agree with one teacher trying to get 10 2 year old's somewhere without some organization.  But Bailey has become obsessed with walking either with her hands on her hips or with her hands in her pocket.  Sunday, before church I wanted to get her picture.  I've had to round up things that match the pink boots becasue she isn't parting with them.  Well, she just had to stand with her hands on her hips. 

I mean, really, can it get any cuter than this???

And that look!!!

I might be payin for my raising, and she might have me wrapped around her little finger, but could you resist this sweet thing either????

She has gotten so smart.  She told me this morning after we got up, while she was yawning, that "I still tired mama."  I told her she should have stayed in the bed this morning.  She can count to 10 and sing her ABC's.  Her other two favorite things to sing right now are "He's got the Whole World In His Hands" excpet we have to sing it like this:  "He's got Mason in his hands."  And then she'll pick someone else, usually Kylie.  "He's got Kylie in his hands."  Then she picks someone else, usually Ben. 
"He's got Ben in his hands."  And then she'll pick Brady.  "He's got Brady in his hands."  We move on down the list:  Mimi, Poppy T, Maggie, Bo, Macy, Mamie, Mammaw, Pappaw, Nana, Pop, Erin, Andrew. Sometimes she picks other people we don't know, probably from school.  And she loves to sing Frosty the Snowman.  She loves to push her babies around in her stroller and talk to them. 

Now that I've probaby bored everyone to death about Bailey, I guess I'll sign off for the night.  She is currently in the process of driving both Sid and me nuts.  You'd think that the couple of thousands of dollars that were spent on her for Christmas and Birthday would be enough to keep her busy.  WRONG!  She wants things she cannot have and gets to things that she shouldn't. 

Have a great week ya'll!!!