Another Day, Another Fight

I have discovered the reason I choose not to get up in the morning. It is due to the fact that I am bound to fight with my daughter.

Got up just before 7 with the baby. Woke up Liam who complained of feeling ill. He was sick this weekend so I was suckered in and sent him back to bed. Had a very pleasant half hour watching Sesame Street with Saoirse- there are certainly some joys to early morning rising.

7.30- go to the top of the stairs and call to Taylor. "Tay, it's 7.30 time to get up." I was extremely pleasant.

7.45- back up to the top of the stairs. "Taylor, sweetie, it's quarter to 8. You need to get up." Still very pleasant. "I am up." she says. She must not have realized I was standing right outside her room and could see her lying under her blnkets. "Really? It doesn't look like you are up." Still very pleasant, but turn on her light something she can't stand. Doesn't have a fit, which she normally does. I put this down to my extremely pleasant attitude.

8.00- Taylor appears and sits at the bottom of the stairs. "You do realize it's 8 right?" Goes to make herself breakfast. Has breakfast, goes to get dressed. Calls from her room "Mummy, I have no pants!" Remembering Thursday, I tell her there is a laundry basket full of clean clothes in the linen closet. (Why is there a laundry basket in the linen closet? I suppose William got tired of it sitting in the hallway awaiting it's dispersal into the childrens' rooms) She comes down looking all right, but I wonder should I be concerned that my 10 year old is dressed completely in black? Didn't look at her feet, but I can almost guarantee she is wearing white sweat socks so I'm alright...no future goths in sight. So far so good, Taylor has been awake for 15 minutes and we have yet to fight. I have the hair brush and the taming spray ready. "Here, Tay, let me brush your hair."
"I can brush it myself."
"I know, but you always miss the back"
"OW OW OW!!!!!"
"Taylor for gods sakes, you don't complain when anyone else brushes your hair"
"I know but I want to. OW OW OW"
"I'm not even pulling hard. Here, this is pulling hard." I know, I know, a terrible thing to do. but honestly, I was not pulling hard!
"Here, let me put this in your hair."
"I don't want my hair styled."
"Too bad, I'd like you to occassionally look like someone loves you."

Anyway, I got my way with the hair, though I'm sure the clip was pulled out the moment she closed the door behind her. She kept up the attitude and I got mad. "I'll tell you something, miss, you're grounded tonight! You can home and clean your room and stay in it tonight. And if it's not clean you aren't going to Guides tomorrow!"
"Blah, blah, blah, you are so mean to me. Why am I grounded?"
"Because I am sick to death of your bad attitude."
And off she went to school, crying, and slamming the door behind her.
I just don't know what it is with the two of us. We don't get along at all, at all.