LOVE or HATE......

    I have heard from many a mother that the first time your adolescent says "I hate you" it really sucks.  Now my lovely daughter has yet to say that and I think it is because she is a bit dramatic and she has to put her own spin on it and that spin goes a little something like this...."why do you hate me so much Mom?" (insert the crying here).  The first time I heard this it did make my heart break into a million, scratch that, a billion pieces.  But now I am thinking it is done for effect.  She is a very wonderful, beautiful, and CRAZY smart 12 year old.  She says that I yell at her everyday, and I will admit that I do raise my voice far more than one should but here is an example....A couple of weeks  go she forgot (yet again) her lunch on the table and then as we were sitting at the bus stop, now keep in mind I had asked her no less than 3 times if she had her lunch and each time the "Yes MOM!" got a bit more sarcastic, so there we were and I could see the bus coming into view and she yells, "I forgot my lunch!!!" That was when I put it in reverse down the driveway like a crazy woman and I was all "WHAT, I asked you 3 times!"  So as I approached the garage She, my darling wonderfully SMART daughter, starts to get out of the car while it is still moving!  So yes, I lost my %*#@.  In the trying to keep my child safe kind of losing my *@!#.  Of course what I see as a way to let her know that she CAN'T just out of a moving car she saw as me being mean and "hating" her.  UGH.
    There are the things that I do get upset about like her constant wanting to put a huge amount of salt on her food, everyday!  I am a good cook and when I cook I do use spices but for some reason she feels that before she actually tries it she needs to completely douse her dinner, whatever it is, in salt.  I have for just about 9 years been all "No salt...that's enough....no more...you don't need it."  So each and every night she tries to sneak it or if I let her use it she continues to try to get more when Hubby and I aren't looking and each and every night she gets caught.  And that usually consists of  "STOP...you know better, etc.?" So I ask, "why do you keep doing it when you know you're going to get in trouble," response, "I don't know."  Complete frustration is all I can feel at times.  So for now I guess I will have to take solace in the thought that someday she too will go through this with her children.