Stalling To Make Me Insane

Hi Friends!

I am having such issues with Isla lately to get a task done. She has turned into the Queen of stalling our routine. If any of you have advice I'm open ears!

I've blogged about the car issues before. She still won't get in her carseat without some serious threatening going on from me. If I try and put her in myself she kicks me and flips around and makes a HUGE scene. Today in the parking lot I swear this guy thought I was abusing my kid because she was screaming, "Don't touch me Mama!" and kicking me at the same time. I tried letting her do whatever she wanted to do to just get it out of her system but it entails buckling up her stuffed animals, arranging stuff in the front seats, messing with the gear shift and buttons (SO NOT OK!) and  today when I thought she was finally done she then had to 'pet Elmo' for a full minute which makes me feel like this issue is a power struggle. She had her first breakdown in the car with B on Saturday but when he said, "Isla we're going to the park, lets go!" she just jumped in and they went. That would never fly with me. Any thoughts--

This may go hand in hand with the bedtime issue I'm experiencing. It takes me a good 45 to get Isla to sleep- that's just the time to have milk, read books, brush teeth and sing. Most of that time is spent curtailing negotiations she wants to make for more books, more talking, more milk, a new diaper, etc. I know that prolonging bedtime isn't an uncommon thing but is there a way to help ease the bedtime routine. Tonight- she took forever to drink her milk which she usually drinks when I read one book and she ended up throwing all the books out of her shelf and spilling her milk all over the rocker and wall when I told her to wrap it up. Total drama.

If anyone has advice send it my way- total case of the 2's going on over here!

S