I mean if they passed out awards for giving the meanest looks, Tiara would win by a mile. She has always been very expressive with her face, which has enabled her to get her point across even when she couldn’t verbally communicate her wants, needs or dislikes. Even though she can now pretty much tell us what she does nor doesn’t want, she is still super expressive. Not to be mean, but when she gives me this look I start to laugh. I mean who can give a look this mean? Lou, Tabitha, Trinity and I have all tried to replicate this scathing expression but none of us can come even close to TT.
In this picture she is so mad at me because I had the audacity to make her get out of the car. After our walk on Balboa we came home and everyday it is pretty much the same routine. I pull in the drive-way, turn off the engine, unbuckle her seat belt and say “wait here, I will come around and help you out.” She is super groggy from her meds. Everyday I come around to the passenger side of the car, open the door and she won’t look at me. I grab her hand and say “Let’s go inside TT.” Her response is always the same, NO!!!” After I tug on her arm a few times and she doesn’t even budge an inch, I usually sit down on the edge of the car and start checking emails on my phone. I know that she will eventually decide she wants to go in, it just may take a while. Well, it was super hot today and even though I always wear sunscreen, my chest and shoulders always get color, which I hate. Color from the sun equals wrinkled skin and I am not a fan of old wrinkled skin.
So after I finished checking emails, I moved to the part of the driveway with shade. She instantly closed her door. Well, she will pretty much suffocate and die if I let her sit in the car with the door closed, so I opened it quickly. She kicked me a few times and threw the sanitizer at me but whatever. Super standard for her. I then started pulling out all my verbal tricks. ” We can call grandma if you come inside.” She didn’t even budge, this is serious, I can always get her to do stuff if I bribe her with seeing or talking to grandma. Ok, after a half hour passes and I know my shoulders are crispy from the sun, I finally decide I have had enough. I lean into the car and physically pull and drag her out of the car. Not an easy task. Once she was out, I quickly grabbed the remote and locked the door so she couldn’t get back in. This is when I took the two pictures above. After 2 minutes of contemplation, she realized she had lost and got up and started walking into the house while repeatedly yelling ” I hate you, Go away Mom” I ignored her comments and guide her into the house where she sat on the couch and said “Hannah please.” That means please put on a Hannah Montana episode from Netflix. I did it, she leans over and gives me a huge hug and kisses my arm and says,
” love you Mom.”
So it is only 10am and I have been berated and loved more than most people in a week.
Have a wonderful weekend …
p.s. Hoping to come up with a good recipe for you next week. I have been eating like crap ever since I took the steroid pack and ate 6 Sprinkles cupcakes. My waistline has expanded considerably but I finally forced myself to start back on my veggie routine so I should be cooking some good stuff soon. 
I’ve learned this much in dealing with a child fo special needs or otherwise. Ask the first time and then make it happen. Do this consistently and you’ll find every child comes to understand, after not very long, that it’s the easy way or the hard way but it’s still going to happen. You’ll find them choosing the easy way 99 times out of 100. It’s probably less traumatic to pull her out of the car a dozen times in a row and rarely, if ever have to do it again than to put you both through a game each morning where you’re annoyed, she’s momentarily unhappy and nothing is gained.
You’re a good mom and a patient one – and I tip my hat to you.