Pink rabbits and rainbows and ponies

Liam is a very dramatic child.

He gets worked up so easily over the littlest of things, constantly making mountains out of mole hills.

• Dad locked me in my room all day! (Kevin sent him to his room once, for about 10 minutes)
• Everybody's yelling at me all day long! Everyone hates me! (Me telling him to get his pajamas on. right. now. in the calmest of voices, albeit not in the most pleasant of tones)
• Nobody gets it! Nobody understands! I AM trying my hardest to be good. I AM! You just don't get it. (this screeched in the whiniest of all whiny / screechy voices with his face all scrunched up and his hands flailing about)

So, he put on his pajamas and I got into my comfy clothes.

Maybe we don't get it. Obviously I don't get it because I never know what's going to set him off, and he goes off a lot.

Maybe this kid just needs a little one on one time tonight.

I went into his room, sat crossed legged on his bed and said, "What do you want to do?" He was a little taken aback and didn't get what I meant. "Me & You. Let's do something together." His first suggestion was to make some cards and practice his letters. HUH? "We could do that, or we could play a game." That sounded better to him and he suggested Battleship. "Yes, I know how to play Battleship." He went to the game closet and returned with Connect Four because he couldn't find Battleship. We easily played 20 rounds of Connect Four before switching to Junior Monopoly.

Just me & Liam.

And it was really nice. He wasn't whiny. He wasn't screechy. He didn't get worked up over anything (even though he lost every single game, and usually he's a sore loser...you see, I am NOT one of those parents who "lets" my kid win - unless they're four, and even then not very often).

After the games we discussed how nice it was for us to just play and that we should make family play dates more often. I definitely want to do more of that playing thing.

He was such an angelic child for the rest of the night.

As I was tucking him into bed, though, he started to tell me about a kid at the bus stop who always has to be first in line and takes cuts and it's not fair and getting worked up and up and up. Over nothing. So I told Liam in my wispiest and hippiest of all voices, "You know what man? Just let it go. You need to learn to just let it all gooooooo. Ain't no thang but a chicken wang, man."

And that's when he said it. "Yep, You know what? I will let it go. I will let it go to Wonderful Land ... full of pink rabbits and rainbows and ponies. I'll let it go to wonder land with pink clouds. Yep, that's where it can all go."

So, I'm not sure if I should be happy that I was able to diffuse his quickly shortening wick or if I should be worried about the pink rabbits and rainbows and ponies.

At least he's got someplace where he can send all of his troubles. Wonderful Land.

Just let it go.