Sometimes You've Gotta Pray For A Miracle

While Hubby blessed the food before dinner, he asked for something that caught me off guard. His prayer asked for the food to nourish and strengthen our bodies. That it would satisfy our cravings. (All pretty normal right?) Then he continued by asking for the food to “make Monkey pleasant to be around.” I couldn’t help but start laughing after the last part of the prayer. Monkey had been screaming and yelling all through making dinner. (Not exactly something you would describe as “pleasant”) In return to my laughing, Hubby just looked at me very seriously and said, “Sometimes you’ve gotta pray for a miracle.”

Now before anyone thinks that we don’t enjoy being around our child, I’ll just begin by saying, We love our Monkey man. We love him very, very, very much.  We love him when he’s a “good boy” and we love him when he’s a “typical toddler.”

Monkey or Monster???

But everyday at around 5:00p.m., my sweet lil’ angel boy somehow transforms into a lil’ monster. It’s a gradual transformation that begins at about 4:30. Little falls that he would usually say, “Ow”  to and move on from, become a life and death situation. (with Monkey thinking death is closer than life)

Trying to cook dinner become a very interesting event. With the hungry monster throwing himself dramatically on the floor and weeping and wailing, I slowly prepare our supper.

Eating dinner is always a real treat. With nothing really pleasing his taste buds, the Monkey screams and throws his food onto the floor, walls, or simply rubs it in his hair. Whichever tickles his fancy at the moment.  

List of Monkey’s top three favorite tantrums with picture

>"Water Works" - Stream of tears burst out of eyes. Intense yelling begins. 

When nothing will console the boy

>Aerial view of "Puddle pout" - Throwing face down, arms and legs extended out. Puddle or "water" begins to form from snot, tears, and slobber. 

When I won't pick him up at the exact second he wants

>"Fast Feet" - Stomping as hard as possible while throwing body backwards.

When I try to give him a snack. (The wrong snack)

Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes Monkey never undergoes this dramatic “transformation.” Sometimes he bangs on pots and pans and sings me sweet songs while I cook. Sometimes he eats everything and anything I put on his plate for dinner. But 3/5 times, I get to meet a lil’ monster at 5:00p.m. Oh, but how I love that lil’ monster. J