One of Those Days...

So I feel like lately I haven't been very patient with Gavin. In all honesty, I wonder if I'll make it through his toddler years with my sanity. I have never felt so helpless. He recently weaned himself from naps. I thought a good solution would be 'quiet time,' when the only requirement is that he stay in his room so I can have some time to remember that I'm a calm, sane person. His response to this new set up is to open and close his door constantly, with a slammed door here and there, until I tell him quiet time is over. I'd be fibbing if I said that this doesn't bother me, especially since Mason is napping in the very next room (which happens to be the bathroom - in his carseat, with the fan on). And I'm no push-over, either. Depending on how deeply I'm committed to driving my point home, he'll be in his room for up to a couple of hours. Needless to say, "quiet time" has in NO way replaced "nap time." By the time Craig gets home, and often before, I'm at my wits end.

With all that in mind, yesterday, after a conversation with my sweet sister-in-law Heather who is one of the best moms ever to live, I re-committed myself to treating Gavin with kindness and love and trying harder to focus on all his good qualities. Today would mark a new beginning. I'm pleased to report that I came through with flying colors, and it wasn't easy. No, Gavin didn't just have a remarkably good day. I was the one who made the changes.

That is, until..........

I found him like this.

Covered in Vaseline aka Petroleum Jelly aka absolutely-non-water-soluble aka I had to call Craig immediately to come home from work while I scrubbed Gavin with Baking Soda for an hour then Baby Oil trying to get it off his skin and out of his hair!!!!!!!

Craig cleaned up everything else -- the carpet, the changing table and anything on top of it Gavin touched, Gavin's chair, the tub where I bathed him, and the cleaning bucket he used. What a guy!

Now I know where Dr. Suess got his inspiration for The Cat in the Hat Comes Back...

I'll be back at it again tomorrow. I just might have to watch Gavin while he sleeps for extra long tonight. He looks so angelic when he's sleeping...