Tristan’s had a bit of a cold for the latter part of this week. All of the neighborhood kids seem to have this same cough and runny nose – there’s no fever and for the most part, Tristan is doing well through it. He has lots of energy and is just as interested in activity, anyway, despite the thin film of clear liquid under his nose. He’s sleeping mostly well, aside from a middle of the night screaming fit the night before last that he resolved himself. And he’s been SO fussy that I’m about to cry – again.

Tristan with a cold is pretty much Tristan plus tantrums over EVERYTHING. Normally, Tristan reserves his tantruming for stuff that’s just plain not fair in his eyes, and I get that. He’s weird about diaper changes in some cases, so trying to strip his diaper in the bathroom prior to a shower is asking for trouble. I know that if I take his food or drink containers from him when he’s not quite done that Tristan will flip his shit. So I generally try to remove his motivation to scream bloody murder.

Can’t do that when he’s sick or teething. (Actually, he may also BE teething.) He’s like me on my worst PMS. Not holding him long enough? The despair! Bedtime? Woe! Removing ANYTHING AT ALL from his hands? Pain! Doing anything that’s part of the normal day? Screams! And anything that’s not full of screams? Mischief and aggravation over the little, retarded rules that I try to enforce.

For instance, I don’t let Tristan throw food from the high chair or crush it unnecessarily. The throwing part, we are making progress with – we know when he throws and why, so we can deal with that before it happens. The crushing irritates me. I’m ok with playing with food, but he’s been pulverizing most of what’s on his tray when he’s not in the mood to eat. This is little; it is dumb; it is hell in conjunction with the other twenty two ways I’m frustrated with his behavior at the moment.

Right now he’s whine-crying and I don’t even know why. I don’t even think he knows why, as he’s also now giggling with daddy. I think it’s time for a bath..