Hit by a Pitch

This evening at our house has featured The Grumpy Toddler Games. The Grumpy Toddler Games go something like this:

• Child wants to acquire or do something.
• Child attempts to acquire or do something.
• Parent says “no.”
• Child cries.
• Child attempts to acquire or do said thing again.
• Parent says “no.”
• Child cries and screams.
• Child attempts to acquire or do said thing again.
• Parent says “no.”
• Child cries, screams, and rends garments.
• Parent tries to distract child with fun activity, such as using blocks to build a house.
• Child is interested in said fun activity for several seconds, but then says “no” to parent.
• Child attempts to acquire or do something else.
• Parent says “no.”
• Child screams.
• Parent cries.
• Repeat.
• Repeat.
• Repeat.
• Cry.

The good news (!) is that, almost without fail, a grumpy child is a tired child, so dude is in bed 1/2 hour earlier than usual. [Update: Don't ever forget that "in bed" does not mean "asleep."] Now I can cry for good reasons, like because I’m watching the Nuggets game or because I haven’t learned to DJ in time to go on the road as DJ Sick Rantorum.