Warnings And Love

My two year old comes with a warning.
She doesn't play by the rules, she makes her own.

 

She argues, but don't take it personally because she even argues with herself. Or her fingers when she is trying to hold up two and only two. "No thumb, you don't stay up, I put you down, stop it"
She isn't quiet, she does not have an inside voice, even in the middle of the night.





She can take a perfectly acceptable two year old activity and turn it into a nightmare. Fact: If you give her two felts *non toxic of course* with a picture to color and get her all set up in her high chair so she can't color on anything that will get ruined, she WILL suck all the color out of the markers and then bite the tip off the end.
She never stops talking. Ever. Even in her sleep.
My new word for her is spirited.

 

I get frustrated at her, I threaten spankings, I put her in her room, I take things away. I am consistent with discipline and I don't entertain the arguing, I stop it.
She fights with her friends and her cousins. While I would like to be that parent that thinks its always the other kids fault, I am no dummy. I know better.
I didn't think I would ever need the "excuse" shes two, but I am guilty of using it. I have no other explanation for her behavior sometimes. She will be fine one minute and a beast the next. And it's not learned behavior, trust me, I keep my beastiness in check!!

But then...
then she is kind and loving and gentle and quirky and funny.





She shares and says please and thank you without being asked. She says grown-up things and laughs at jokes. She asks thoughtful questions. She says sorry and means it.



She sings songs from her favorite movies and quotes characters like Simba and Dori. She learned what a best friend is thanks to the Lion King and often tells me I am her best friend.



She comes with a warning, but I do love her so. 

Name That Kid

Child #1



Child #2



Which one is which? Leave a comment with your guess, if you'd like!

Halloween and Stuff

Okay, I admit it... I suck at Halloween. I never think of good costumes, I don't like not recognizing people and truth be told, I have never carved a pumpkin by myself. Although I do love the candy. True story - we ate a whole box of mini chocolate bars long before October 31st. I swear I will get better as Maizey and Jace get older. Swear. For now, Maizey was perfectly happy to look at the un-carved pumpkin on our steps and up until five minutes before we headed out the door at Angs to go trick-or-treating, she refused to put her costume on. In fact, we thought we might have to cancel thanks to the hissy fit that was going on at our house just ten minutes prior. I was gathering warm clothes as Brian was checking on frozen pizzas in the oven while simultaneously shushing and rocking a screaming baby. He handed the baby off as we shoved pizza in our faces and tried to coax a cranky two year old into having just one bite. I  whipped up some coffees as, well I'm not sure what Brian was doing, but I'm sure it was productive and helpful and made the screaming about I'm not putting Elmo on easier to handle. By the time we were ready to walk out the door, we agreed that if she didn't want to put her costume on, it was no big deal, there is always next year. We also agreed that maybe once she saw all her friends dressed up, she would give in. We made it to Angs mostly fed, with hot coffees and a cute little Elmo costume in hand, and sure enough seeing everyone else costume-clad, she put that weird little puppet head on her own.







Jace was going to be the same thing Maizey was for her first Halloween, a baby, but at the last minute I decided to make him a tiny little Frenchman. He was digging it.



We were a comical group of five two year old, three baby's and ten parents.







The excitement was high and the candy was flowing. It was a last minute call out to a few little friends and it turned out great. Chaotic but fun. Next year I will try to be more prepared and more creative. And more festive.
Brian and I sifted through Maizeys bag and ate what we wanted as soon as she went to bed. She hasn't thought about it since. At this age, it really is about what candy WE like!

******
On an un-related note...

We had a friend for the weekend. Our dear friend Trudy.

 

She's known me since I was a tiny little new born and now she loves on my kids like I assume she loved on me and my brothers when we that little. She finds the coolest little toys and nick-knacks and gifts and she does amazing crafts. She has stocked our kids library with incredible, age appropriate books.



It was so much fun having her here. Its been three weeks of a good ol' taste of home and Trudy was the cherry on top of an already delicious sundae.





We played at the park, ate good food, drank good coffee and got caught up. It was nice to have so much time, rather than the hour long coffee visit we get, when I go home. Thanks for everything and come again anytime Trudy, we loved having you!