This one.

I have met my match.

This one challenges me in ways that the other two don't.

Emma is so much like me it's both frightening and maddening.

She has the will of a stubborn mule.

She wants things a certain way.  Her way.  To the point that sometimes, everything that I do is wrong by Emma.  "Mommy, you don't take a shower in the morning, you take one before bed."

And when she doesn't get her way, she screams and throws a tantrum.  Which does not end.  She can hold out for longer than I can.  And that's what scares me the most.

One morning last week, I was taking the girls to school.  On the way out the door, both Emma and Rebecca started yelling about wanting the "easy" car seat.  (Why on earth, when we buy 3 identical car seats at the same time, does one of the three have a different buckle latch that the girls that can do themselves?  Sigh.)

Anyhow, Becca and Emma were physically fighting (actually, I think it was more Becca than Emma) on the side of the car.  I got so fed up that I told them Julie got the easy seat.

This did not go over well.

Becca got mad.  Emma got mad.

Becca got over it by the end of our street.

Emma continued to scream.  So, on one of the streets of our subdivision, I stopped in the middle of the street.  (No one else was around at the time.)  Stopping made her quiet.

Temporarily.

I shot her a look.

She shot me one back.

Cars were coming, so I kept going.  Emma wins this round.

By the time we got out to the main road, she was still screaming.  I felt mildly guilty about taking her into daycare screaming, so I pulled into the CVS parking lot, and sat there for 10 minutes with Emma screaming.

At this point, I'm going to be even later to work, so we go.  Emma wins again.

I guess I'm getting frustrated that her will is stronger than mine.  Or, I'm forced to cave and let her win again.  I know it's setting a bad precedent, but ... she is more stubborn than I have the patience for.

She is my payback.

My poor mother.