Is there such a thing as the Terrible 4's?

Ricky is no angel but is usually a pretty good kid. In his preschool class, his teacher and all the kids' parents have always told us that Ricky is the best behaved in school. The school year is almost over and -knock on wood - he almost finished this year without being "bad" once. Bad meaning bad enough that the teacher has to tell me he did something in school. In the beginning I was happy about it but kind of freaked out that maybe he wasn't normal - I always thought little boys were supposed to be troublemakers by nature. 

Well ever since we had Teddy, it's been hard for Ricky to adjust. This weekend was hard because we really didn't leave the house much. Mark has come down with some virus that he's on antibiotics for and we've stayed home a lot. Mark is unemployed at the moment too - so both parents are home. He loves playing video games with his dad. 

So yesterday I told my family that we had to get out of the house. We pored over the internet looking up museums and all kinds of things to do. But everything was either too expensive or too crowded - we thought - due to the holiday weekend. So we decided to make it simple and do a little shopping and get out for lunch.

God was Ricky so bad. Not listening, and doing the opposite of what we ask to a dangerous level - like leaving us in the store to run around or run to the other parent when he/she isn't aware - hello kidnapper!! Pulling his hand away while walking in busy parking lots - like he wants to run and get hit by a car.  It was so bad that Mark spanked him in the parking lot of Old Navy. Thankfully nobody saw - that I was aware of. Before I had kids I always tsked people for doing that in public and thought they were really shitty parents. Now I know why that happens. Ricky hasn't been spanked in about 3 months - his last spanking was because he whipped a piece of cardboard very hard on his baby brother's head. Teddy was about 1 month old. 

We've tried really hard to spend quality time with Ricky whenever we can. I played Legos with him for a few hours over the weekend and I always try to read books before naptime and bedtime. I struggle with this and also keeping a tidy house and all the million other things I have to do around the house. 

Well whatever the heck is going on, I hope it stops because this really sucks.