Cry First and Ask Later

What's worse than waking up in the middle of the night to feed my 3 month old? What's worse than having to clean up a toddler who's learning to feed herself? What's worse than having to change diapers all day? What's worse you ask? Listening to my firstborn cry. And I don't mean my heart aches every time she cries in pain or in sorrow. I'm talking about crying because she can't find her bracelet. She's crying because there is a tiny little wrinkle on her construction paper. She's crying because she wants juice instead of milk.

I know I'm going to sound like such a terrible mother but oh myhairpullingteethgrittinggoodness! Elisa knows how to express herself very well. She's very creative at describing things even if she doesn't know the right words for it. But why on earth can't she just ask for things without crying? It's like a reflex. A life motto that she clings to. Cry first and ask later.

Elisa recently turned 4. She's very smart, funny, witty, and imaginative. She loves to dance, sing, and draw. She loves arts and crafts. She loves playing with me. She loves to learn new things. She loves to practice writing. She loves dressing up. She's quite the camera hog which I don't blame her for because she's quite photogenic. She loves pretending to get married. Weird one but we had quite a few weddings this summer and she enjoys reenacting the whole wedding ceremony... even the sermon. She keeps asking where she can find a boy (groom.) Anyway, she's all this and more. Lovely little girl if I do say so myself.

BUT... what's with all the crying? I have to reminder her EVERY SINGLE DAY that she's a big girl now and only babies cry. Just ask. Do I say no all the time? I try to accommodate as much as I can. It's okay to cry if you get hurt or you're really sad about something. Crying because someone else set the table (and that's only because she refused to set the table because she was too busy playing) doesn't fit into either category. She cries more than her younger sister and brother. No. Really.

Before my in-laws came to visit, they used to tell us to not yell at her. Don't yell. Just reason with her. We told them we try. We really do. Now that they've seen it themselves, they laugh at how ridiculous it's become but at the same time says we need to make sure she's disciplined. Heeeelllllooo???? That's what we've been saying all this time.

Is this common and I'm just a whiner myself? ARrgggggghhhhhh. Have mercy on me. I don't know. Maybe not getting the red crayon is an earth shattering event that's worth shedding those tears. Maybe I need to recheck myself and try to understand that she's only 4.