Max has stopped bathing. I don’t know why, but suddenly he has refused to take a bath. I recognize that an almost 3 yr old likes to feel as if he is in control and I do what I can to help him create this illusion. I have allowed him to not bathe, but it has been a week. Do you know what an almost 3 year old little boy looks like after a week of no bathing? Well, let me enlighten you. He has food on his face. I don’t know what it is or what it was but it is there and it will not be removed with a baby wipe or a “spit and polish”. He has ink on his arms. Not from coloring, but from taking my “good job” rubber stamps from my school bag and stamping himself. His fingernails are long, dirty and well, I won’t gross you out with the details. His “parts” smell, his hair is a mess, and his ears – ugh. So tonight, I threw down the mommy gauntlet and dragged that little toot, kicking and screaming into the tub. He splashed me, he threw toys, he cried until snot streamed down his face and loosened the food around his mouth. I even washed his hair (I was feeling particularly saucy). I cleaned his ears, trimmed his nails, put clean pajamas on him and even made him wash his pacifier. He hates me. I know he does. I know he is sitting right now, with watermelon smelling hair and resenting me. I have violated his control, his life, his space. What he doesn’t realize is that this is really revenge for all of those times that he’s eaten my food, pulled my hair, grabbed my boobs in public, kicked me and otherwise violated MY space. I hate to break it to you buddy but mommy always wins. I ALWAYS win.