The Tree That Always Said No

I was in primary section, when one day our class was informed about this book fair that would be held in the school next day. A brochure was also circulated with the information, and we were required to go through and bring exact change to buy any book we wanted. The books were divided into age-apt categories, and I eventually purchased a book that had the same title as this post. 

And No, is what appears to be a generic response these days. 

Yesterday, DH took me and Figlia for a movie show in the afternoon. He discussed his intention on Saturday, and I had to actively stop myself from saying No for the same. 

I am scared that if I do something to indulge myself, or something that is enjoyable, it will jinx my happiness for good. That something will happen to make me lament why I anyways decided to have any fun at all. 

I have precedents in Figlia's first year for that fear, and I had a prayer on my lips to let the day pass event-less. 

Figlia let M nap in the morning, but in the afternoon, there was again an issue of her having to be shooed outside the room so that M could have some peace. 

M has been colicky off and on all of this past week, and yesterday noon too, the colic struck right on noon nap time. That was remedied quickly, but it is sapping for all the while it lasts. 

Figlia has flashes of being very well behaved, and then goes on a riot of her own. She is again stuck on not brushing her teeth. And it is not really about brushing teeth. She has a whole range of strategies in her quiver for us, it seems. 

She will get reaaaaally thirsty right when the paste has landed on the brush. The water is not the right temperature, or the lion on her brush is staring at her. The brush is toy-sy and you can stick it on any surface because of a vacuum effect, and she will play with it, and then play some more. The easiest thing to do is to run around the house, lest we catch her and make her....................................................brush her teeth. And sometimes, she is like "But I brushed yesterday!".

I know that one can't break stubbornness by being the wall where the bull breaks its head, but boy, is this exasperating, or is this exasperating! 

When I tell about this to family or friends, people tend to laugh. It is funny to them. Not for me. Nyet and Nada, not for me.