oh harper...

my current frustrations with harper can be summed up in the following confrontation.

(the stage is set. we are frantically trying to organize ourselves for departure to harper's ballet class. everyone is ready. i go into harper's room to grab her ballet shoes only to find her kneeling by the window with her back to me.)

me: harper, come on! it's time to go!
harper: okay, i'm coming...
me: ...you need to stop putting on make-up because you are trying to be sneaky. if you would not have been sneaky i would have let you. just like you were able to wear it to dance last week. so stop putting make-up on and let's go.
harper: okay
(she continues to finish applying make-up)
me: why are you not listening (in my most defeated tone)
harper: i had to finish because i would look crazy!
me: no....you needed to listen. that is what we are working on. you cannot decide that what you need/want is more important than what is being asked of you...
harper: i wasn't even being sneaky!
me: ....
harper: i wasn't!
me: okay. i believe you. but you should know that for future reference it looks like you are trying to be sneaky when you are kneeling on the floor with your face on as close to the ground as you can get it with your back to the room. but the problem i had was not with the make-up it was with you not listening.
harper:...
me: harper.
harper: ma'am?
me: sigh....

(believe it or not i considered this moment to be one of progress. slowly, ever so painfully slow, harper is realizing what it means to listen and not just hear. she's a good girl. and i love her so.)