Damn sock monkey pajamas

Today I was one of "those" moms.

One of "those" moms that I kind of slyly raise my eyebrows upon seeing, wondering, "just how hard is it to put clothes on your kid?"

One of "those" moms that I self-righteously feel superior to, as I've managed to get all four of my little monsters lovies dressed, combed and coated (and arrive five minutes early to boot).

One of "those" moms that takes her kid out of the house still dressed in his or her PJ's.

Yep, today that was me.

Alivia, my dear, spirited pixie, is a force to be reckoned with. When she's locked and loaded, that pixie doesn't budge. You can't sweet talk her, you can't bribe her, you can't threaten her. She's. Not. Giving.

You'd think I'd learn.

So as she sat at the breakfast table for 30 minutes this morning not eating ANYTHING, I started trying to coerce her.

"Please Livy, will you eat your breakfast? You can't go to school if you don't eat," I said.

Still no eating.

"Livy, if you don't eat your eggs, I'll have to leave you here in your chair while the rest of us go drop Alena off," I warned a few minutes later.

Fork playing ... feet kicking under the table ... still no eating.

"That's it Liv, you'll have to stay home," I threatened.

As the clock ticked, I finished getting everyone else dressed, thinking she'd buy into my "leaving her at home" bluff and eat something. Anything.

Yelling. No eating.

Dammit. By this point I'd played my bluff too long. It was either leave her sitting strapped to the kitchen chair in the house all alone and wait for social services to come knocking later or cave, fold on my threat and take her along.

Okay, as much as I wanted her out of my sight at the minute, I didn't want social workers hauling her away, so I went for the "cave" option.

Although, having waited her out to the very end, convinced I might win this one, I then had to decide which was worse: being one of "those" moms or being one of "those other" moms who is signing their three-year-old into preschool late.

Yeah, I was one of "those" moms today. Flannel sock monkey pajamas and all.