Refusing To Participate In The Terrible Twos

I can hear you laughing at me.  "How naïve she is," you're saying. Well, hush.

I get this drive to have it all together from my Mother. Thanks, Mom. When I graduated high school, my 'Senior Superlative' as written by my friends was "most likely to become her Mom."  I hated them for that back then and now realize that they could not have been more accurate.  I like to be the ring leader in my own circus.

So. AK is now closer to two than she is to one. If there is such thing as a perfect newborn, infant, baby and early toddler, she's it. She has given me so little trouble, headache, heartache, you name it. She's just a good freakin' kid. Case in point was last weekend. She laughs until my own cheeks hurt and I feel like my heart sings when I am with her.

But, holy crap. She kinda acted two last weekend. It came from left field. I wasn't expecting it. Suddenly, she's throwing a mini-tantrum at the plant nursery because she wants to ride in the dilapidated mini red coupe car sitting in the sand. She didn't want her raspberries and how dare me for offering them to her, so she deliberately stuck her finger so hard into each one of them that it not only squirted red raspberry juice on my shirt, but it pitifully smushed it onto her tray so she could, with one swoop of her hand, throw it onto the wall. Yelling "NO" in the process. WTH? Where's my angel baby?

You do understand that you ARE going to get me what I want out of that cupboard, yes?

She's almost two. That's where she is.

Hold up. I'm not participating in the Terrible Twos. Just not. I haven't had the heart to tell her yet, but we're getting there. I will gently and kindly explain to her that the behavior that often accompanies two-year-olds will not be welcome in our house. And, I am sure she will listen. (Insert sarcastic laugh here).

So much of life is about the attitude we have when dealing with the things that enter our journey, isn't it? So, can I attempt to maintain an attitude that encourages my little two-year-old to still experience the fun in life while being that ever elusive good kid? I think so.

I don't want to over-parent her, whatever that is. I don't want to helicopter. But, I do want her to learn to respect boundaries and most of all, know that I am her Momma. I am in charge. I'm a really fun Momma (to her, anyway) and I play like I'm two. But, I'm the boss.

At the end of the day, she sat in her rocking chair, quietly reading a book. When she saw me, she patted the spot next to her and said, "Sit, Momma." I melted.

And, then I sat.