Peter must have slipped or tripped and was sad, crying and laying on his blanket. I picked him up, tried consoling him while I was cooking but still the tears. 4 gogurts later he was finally not crying and a little better. THEN something set him off again and I decided to put him in the bathtub, an almost instant soother for him. Lucy wanted a bath too so they both got in.
They often bathe together and I sit in the hall or living room-just around the corner-listening to them until it's time to wash and get out. All of a sudden I heard Peter screaming and crying, I called out to Lucy but she didn't respond. I called 2 more times and went in. I spotted Lucy with a bottle aimed at Peter and guessed that she had squirted him, causing the tears. So being tired, impatient and frustrated with all the tears and Lucy, "being mean"-in my assuming eyes, I grabbed the squirt bottle, squirted her and then had 2 crying children.
I left the room because I figured they would stop crying and I didn't want to hear it, 5 minutes passed and it didn't stop. I went in and explained to Lucy that she can't squirt him, and it wasn't nice-like what I just did was nice, can I just say best mom of the year award. Seriously, I don't know why I did that.
I took Peter out, then Lucy and let them both dry in towels sitting on the couch together watching cartoons. I dressed them both and they went on their merry way.
Minutes later I was cleaning the kitchen and Lucy came in and said, "Mommy, I was washing Peter" She looked a little sad. And it clicked. I assumed she was being mean but she was trying to be a big kid and clean and help Peter in the tub. "Oh, you were cleaning and spraying Peter to wash him in the tub?" "Yes Mommy, I sprayed him to wash him". I apologized for getting mad and spraying her. We talked about how only mommy should wash him, and that it was a nice thing that she wanted to help him but that he gets scared when sprayed.
Sheesh! We are all learning and growing. I guess having Evan gone all day, being tired, and every other excuse I could say still doesn't justify my lack in patience and kindness. Tomorrow is another day and I will work on being slower to assume, and even though I thought squirting Lucy to teach her a lesson wasn't harmful, it was. Maybe not physically, but emotionally not a good idea. I should have resolved it a better way to set an example of how to behave.
Mommy lessons.
