Carson.... the challenge

I love my four-year-old tasmanian devil. He is a terror, he destroys things, colors on things, throws things, has the longest-lasting temper tantrums, and he is the only one that most of our "typical" parenting styles have not worked on.

I remember when we had one child, or two, and thought we knew what we were doing. I remember thinking that other parents were doing things all wrong, and that I could show them how to do things. Then, we had the twins. Vanessa was a hard baby, and Carson was so easy next to her. But that quickly changed. Carson will not do things the way the other kids will. He runs away, not just when he's in trouble, just to see if I'll chase him. He got lost at Sam's Club the other day, and got in the middle of a stranger's birthday party at the park. He refused to potty train the way my first three did. He will not learn things unless he wants to. When people try to give me advice, I always want to say "spend a couple of days with him, and you will understand why that doesn't work." It's not for lack of trying! My methods have worked pretty well for the other four kids!

But Carson is SO tender sometimes. When he knows I'm sad, he will sit with me until he thinks I'm OK. It's such a turn-around from his temper tantrums. I don't know how any child that size can scream so loud and so long. He is completely inconsolable at times, and other times he just gives you that smile, and you can't help but melt. (No, that doesn't mean he gets his way when he smiles)

People always tell me how cute Carson is. Like they don't even see my other four GORGEOUS kids. He has the big, beautiful brown eyes, the blond hair, the fair skin, straight teeth, and sweet,shining smile. When he is acting up, I hear strangers at the store say "but he's SO cute!" and it makes me mad sometimes, LOL. He IS adorable, and he thinks he can get away with things because everybody tells him so.

He tests my patience on so many levels. Right now, he loves to say "I HATE YOU MOMMY!" and he will say it repeatedly until I respond. I'm trying to just say "I know you're upset, but Mommy loves you." but that really doesn't work, he will keep going and going. I ignore it, and try again. Eventually he will just stop. I'm sure he is testing his boundaries, but it's so hard to enforce things when both parents work. I just pray I'm not screwing him up! I love my little Carson.