Good lord today was just a terrible, horrible day.

To put it bluntly, toddlers are not graceful.  They’re still working out that thing called balance, and haven’t mastered how to regain one’s balance if they start to lose it.  Hell, I’m an adult and I still haven’t quite figured that one out yet.  So, take some twirling in circles,  and throw good ol’ gravity into the mix?  And a nearby, immobile, hard object? Well, that is just a recipe for disaster.

Forehead, meet the dresser handle.  Dresser handle, meet the forehead.

There was much blood, and much crying (from both the Kiddo AND me).

There was a three hour visit to the emergency room, and three or four stitches.  And then a popsicle and a small puppy finger puppet (from the doctor) for being such a trooper!  She didn’t cry during the stitches at all, and held still just like we asked her to do.  Yay for topical anesthetic, and yay for a very calm little girl!  And a super doctor and nurse, to boot.  And thanks to her grandma for sitting with us at the ER in sheer boredom waiting those long three hours, helping me keep the Kiddo entertained.

I am so spent.  I hope to never have to repeat what happened today ever again.  But I imagine that is just wishful thinking… if she inherited my clutziness, and can’t find her gracefulness, well, I fear something like this will probably happen at some point again, but hopefully in the way way distant future.  But I can still hope that distant future never comes and she turns out to be as graceful as a swan, right?  One can dream…

So last night, we went to dinner at Red Lobster with my husband’s mom & step-dad, to partake in RL’s Shrimp Fest all-you-can eat dealie.  Yummy!  Well, that also meant we got home a little later than we anticipated.  The Kiddo really needed a bath, but 1) it was already bedtime when we got home, and 2) it was starting to storm outside with lightening, so there was no way I was putting her in the bathtub and risk getting us both fried.

So, I decided I’d try to give her a bath first thing in the morning.  My husband usually showers in the hall bath, so he said he’d just use the stall shower in our master bathroom, and I could use the hall bathtub for the Kiddo at the same time.

First of all, she’s cranky in the mornings.  Kind of like both me and my husband.  Usually she likes taking baths.  But first thing in the morning? Not so much.  When I woke her up and asked her if she wanted to take a bath, she pouted and said “no!”, and threw herself back down into her pillow, complete with thumb-in-mouth.  A clear signal – go away mommy, I’m going back to sleep!

I said “Fine,” and walked into the bathroom and shut off the water, and started getting dressed.  Being cranky myself, I also told her she can go to school stinky and with her hair gross if she wanted, no skin off my back.  Not my finest moment, for sure.

Finally with a little more coaxing and some tears on her part, I got her into the bathtub.  Then she didn’t want to get wet (any more than just her legs).  *sigh*  More coaxing, more whining and tears, and we got her quickly soaped up and rinsed off.  She likes to help wash so that helped change her mood a little, which made washing her hair (which was the entire goal, since it was quite icky from running around and sweating yesterday) much easier.

I think that will be the last morning bath for her for a while.  Next time I’ll just wet her hair down and comb it out, and save bath time for night like usual as long as there aren’t any storms.  Lesson learned.  

Cranky toddler + morning bath = even more cranky toddler + a cranky mom