A Test of Patience

My Isabelle, my firstborn, my goofy girl...  she is the happiest and silliest 3 year old that I know!  She makes me smile and laugh every day.  There's not too many times where she actually gets into serious trouble where actual consequences need to happen.  She's only had to be put in a time out a couple times, and the paddles she gets aren't all that serious.  But today, oh today was a little different.  My brother and his 4 year old son got her a really nice Winnie the Pooh story book that had about 10 stories in it.  It had a really nice cover and the page sides that you see were gold painted.  It's the kind of book that you keep around for your kids for a long time.  I've read both the girls stories from it, and I made sure to tell them that they can't play with it.  It's not a toy, it's a story book only mommy or daddy can read from.  So I'm in the shower.  Usually when I'm showering, they're just playing upstairs or watching one of their shows.  I didn't turn on the TV for them this time, and man oh man I wish I would have.  I get out, get dressed and hear them in their room.  I go in there, and all I see are pages..pages everywhere!  While I was showering, Isabelle was going through each page and tearing it out.  She had gotten through half the book before I found her.  The first thing I thought was JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! But what I actually said was "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?!"  When she hears that question in that certain tone of voice, she knows she's in trouble.  This time was no exception...after I exclaimed it, she went bolting for a hiding place.  I've never really had to count to 10 before, but this time I had to.  I was really close to just blowing a couple of gaskets.  After I get ahold of my emotions, I had her come over to me, and I chastised her and told her that what she did was really naughty.  She hates being told that she's naughty so she starts crying and saying that she's good.  I had to hold my own, and tell her that no, this was naughty.  I make her go sit on her bed while I change Kensi and decided what to do.  After I was done, I made her pick up each page and bring it to me.  After she was done, I asked her if she knew what she did wrong.  She pointed to the pages and I made her tell me that ripping the pages was naughty.  She said sorry mama and sat on the bed until I told her it was ok to get up.  I keep going back through it to make sure I wasn't too hard on her, but I wasn't.  She needed to know that what she did was wrong and there will be consequences to her misbehaving.  Score one for mama, but it still heartbreaking to make her cry!