Thursday, January 24, 2008

Word of the Week: deportment

deportment /n./ a manner of personal conduct; behavior. actions. bearing. mannerism. mien. air or appearance. demeanor.

deportment /n./ 1. This child's deportment has driven me batty for the past week. I don't know if it's the impending intrusion of a new baby into her little life or a lack of napping or an overdose of holidays and family and staying up late or if it's just a stage in her third year of life. I wish I knew. I am really beginning to wonder what I have done wrong in parenting this child because she has been a monster recently.

Doesn't she look sweet in this picture? Amy took it as we waited outside Colossal Cave for our tour to begin last Friday. You would never know what angst her deportment has caused me recently, would you?

Okay, so I started this post two days ago and you can feel my anguish and then the past two days, London's deportment has taken a 180 turn. I think it was her daddy's "talk" with her the other night. I really think he was tired of coming home from a long day at work to have a wife at her wits end with the children so he took charge and did better than I am capable of lately and what do you know . . . daddy has the magic touch of changing deportment! Go Nate!

deportment /n./ 2. On the other hand, Savannah's deportment has been pathetic these last few days. I swear she is a hypochondriac. She's been having constipation problems since Sunday night and although she has been a lot better today (this was written Tuesday), there is still a lot of drama in the house and most of it is psychological on her part. She spends the mornings and evenings just groaning and moaning while sitting on the toilet. Yeah, during the day does a couple times, but it's mostly at bedtime when the drama awakens. Okay, child -- I mean it's not that I'm not sympathetic or heck, even empathetic (pregnancy causes these problems also), but my gosh, child, get a grip! I'm only hoping that it will end soon and she can get off the toilet and back to real life.

The update to that paragraph would be that her deportment got worse and without being too detailed (I'm sparing you), let's just say that I never thought I'd be cleaning up two #2 incidents (once again -- daddy rocks with cleaning up for a gagging mom for the first incident at least) and even 2 #1 incidents for my 5-year old. The thing that changed her deportment yesterday finally????? I made her wear a stinking' diaper and humiliated the drama out of her and yesterday afternoon and today she's been fine.

deportment /n./ 3. Parenting. . . you never know what will work, I'm just glad I was able to control my deportment and not just give up and let my pregnancy hormones take over while I just cried.

7 comments:

Megan said...

Knowing the details, I am so sorry for you this past week, you've gone through hell with those two! I guess we all have our problems, I'm just feeling especially bad for yours, I don't think I could deal with that in the pregnancy state either. Hope they continue to get better and the diaper humiliation knocked all the drama out of her!

Amy said...

Mandi! In my own sickness, I've totally missed out, I guess! I did not know about all of Sav's drama-curing. I CAN NOT believe she atually wore a diaper without bawling her soul out. I'm so proud of you for think up such a wondrous plan! I'm thinking there's no diaper in the world that would fit Aidan if he has something similar happen!

So sorry it has been so rough. I truly think London's situation has to do with the little newcomer. So many comments have come from her that make that pretty obvious. I'll just solve it by stealing your baby for a while when she's born...leaving London her mom to love.

Uh...did you know that I'm planning on this baby being mine as well?!

Nina Jones said...

Mandi, so fun to read all the things you young mothers are now going through and I sit a smile as I read the comments and know that in just a few years you will miss these days.... Just on another side NOTE you look wonderful.... Just a stage I am sure and as we all know it will get better.... Love you!!!

The Scotts said...

Maybe it is just a bad week for everyone with their kids! I am about to go crazy or maybe I have with Abby. I feel like Jared has been coming home to a crazy woman this week. I hope it stops soon!

Heather said...

Mandi, you are a super mom! All of the drama that goes on and you handle it well. I love how you "humiliated the drama" out of S, that in my opinion is just brilliant and I will make note for the future.

Susan said...

You look gorgeous in this picture. You are a wonderful Mom and I will definately have to take note on humiliating any drama out of my kids.

April said...

I promise it will pass...but I'm so glad you have a record of it! Your deportment is remarkable given all that you are handling! Way to be super Mom!