Fans and bananas

What does it mean that I'm sitting here googling vacation packages I can't afford? I need to get away. My lifes work is to become more organized, to get a step ahead of the competition, in this case all the nutters who have booked their summer vacations last summer. Is that every body? If I ever have a summer rental I will only rent it to people who call a day a head. I'll call it Procrastinators by the Sea. For when you need to get away tomorrow.

And now the daily tantrum update. Because I know you care. Last night, my sister K was auditory witness to S wanting a banana. Wanting is really not strong enough a word. When S wants something she furrows her brow glares and yells instructions to who ever is nearest to give it to her. Now. She has some words, but is unable to string them together, especially in times of urgency. Like when she wants a banana. What she does is string a lot of harsh sounding syllables together. Picture a German CEO yelling at his staff after they lost a big account. As with most of these tantrum stand offs, I don't care that much if she has a banana or not, but I am trying to get her to stop yelling her demands like a dictator. Demand nicely, is that any better? My sister and I agreed that she had lost her right to banana. We discussed tantrum diffusing tactics even though we could barely hear each other.

We hung up the phone- the banana tantrum had been going on for some time. I tried, stupidly, to explain she could have the banana if she asked nicely. We were way past this point, so essentially I waved a steak at a starving lion. Then H started asking for the banana, which by the way was the last one. Now H is on the floor wailing that she "can't hear her tv." H does live here and have to deal with S's moods, and is generally very good about it. She has every right to complain that she can't hear the tv. Unfortunately for us all, I was at the end of my rope. "THATS IT! EVERYONE UPSTAIRS" H went semi willingly and hung out in her room for a bit. I carried S up to her room, the carpeted isolation chamber prescribed by her pediatrician, and came down to try and get dinner on the table. I heard banging and screaming and thumping from S's room. I hurried to get the food on the table and ran up to get her. She was still going strong. Eventually she settled down enough to eat, and then she returned to her usual (well, part of the time anyway) sunny self. When this happens, especially with food, I worry that I am starving her. So, lest you be thinking the same thing, she had a bowl of cereal before asking for the banana, and I offered her different foods that she wasn't cursing me in German about.

This morning, I woke up in as good a mood as I ever am in the morning, and S was all smiles. We came downstairs, J and H were still asleep. S demanded some cereal. I got her to ask nicely and say please. Then she demanded the light be turned on. "Mommy will you turn the light on, please?" I did. The she demanded the fan be turned on. I said no. I knew what this would mean, but I'm starting to feel like a hostage in my own house. I gently said no. She of course lost it. I Stepped over her writhing frothing screaming body and poured some coffee. Tuned out the yelling and tried to read the paper. This went on and on. H came down and asked what was S was upset about. "She wants the fan on." "Oh." It wasn't until I got H's breakfast, a waffle, that S calmed down. She demanded a waffle too. "Mommy can I have a waffle please.." I pleaded with her.