It finally happened. I knew it would but I didn't expect it to happen at this point in time...not while my kids are still so young. It's like a rite of passage in childhood, or at least the teenage years.Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about yet, do you? I'm referring to those 3 little words that hurt so badly it feels like someone took a knife and dug it deep into your heart."I hate you"My 5-year old son said those 3 words to me. Actually, he screamed them as loud as he could to make sure I heard him...and he emphasized the word "hate".Why? What would cause him to shriek those ugly, hurtful words? You might be thinking I did something completely horrible, like take away his favorite toy or tell him he couldn't go to a playdate with friends.You would be wrong. When I asked what the kids wanted for breakfast, he ignored me. I knew he could hear me, yet he pretended not to. Bella said she wanted a bagel and it happened to be the last one. When he came to the table and saw a waffle on his plate, he freaked out."I want a bagel", he yelled. "Well, then you should've answered me when I asked you what you wanted. Bella called the bagel first and it's the last one. So you get a waffle", I explained.He crossed his arms in front of his chest and began to cry. Becoming irritated with him, I said, "Look, you have to leave for school in 15 minutes. So you either eat the waffle or go to school hungry". Then, after giving it some more thought, I added, "If you ask Bella nicely, maybe she'd be willing to split her bagel with you".But he was far too past the "being nice" stage and he hollered, "Bella, give me half of your bagel". She shook her head no and protected her bagel with her hands. Can't say I blamed her.He stood in the kitchen, with his arms crossed and his face as red as Santa Claus' suit, shouting, "I want a waffle". I ignored him.He bellowed, "I don't like you anymore, Mommy". I shrugged my shoulders and said, "You don't have to like me", trying to sound calm.That's when Cole did it....he pulled a Plan B on me. "I HATE YOU", he screamed. My entire body shuddered at the sound of those words.My mind raced...what do I do? Do I ignore him? Or let him know how much he's hurt me with his words?I went with the "never let them see you sweat" theory and responded, "Well, that's unfortunate since I happen to LOVE you".He continued to stare me down. I wondered if I had handled the situation correctly. The one thing I knew with certainty was that my heart ached and, while I wanted to cry, I kept a stiff upper lip.I didn't want him to go off to school, with those being the last words he had said to me. I'm one of those morbid people who always thinks, "What if this is the last time I see my kids?" Isn't that horrible? But we all know life is short and I never want to be one of those people who spends the rest of her life living with regret.As Tim called for Cole to go outside and get in the car to head to school, I asked him for a hug and he obliged, saying, "I don't hate you, Mommy. But I really wanted a bagel".I told him, "I know you don't hate me but hearing those words come out of your mouth made me really sad".He said, "Okay, let's make a deal. I won't say I hate you anymore and you always make sure we have bagels to eat for breakfast".Well, that was easy, though I'm still not sure I handled the situation correctly. And while I hope this was the last time I'll ever hear those 3 dreaded words, I have a feeling that won't be the case.After all, we are talking about MY kids, who have a tendency to be just a tad bit overly dramatic. I have absolutely no clue where they get that personality trait from.Memorable conversation of the day:Bella: When are we gonna get a talking unicorn?Me: Uh….probably never.Bella: Probably because they live far away from here, right?Me: Where do they live?Bella: In New YorkMe: New York? Where did you come up with THAT?Cole: No, not in New York.Bella: Then where do they live?Cole: They live in South America with the flying monkeys.Bella: Yeah, you’re probably right. I forgot about the flying monkeys.Cole: The flying monkeys ALWAYS live with the talking unicorns.Me: Am I dreaming or is this conversation REALLY happening?
