My Sweet By & By: The Terrible 22 Months

I have dreaded this blog post for quite some time now... the point where NK has reached her terrible two's. Eek!!

Unfortunately my child has zero patience and a horrible temper. However, I know this is all part of her growing, learning, and testing her boundaries.

We have starting hitting, biting, saying "No!" in response to almost any instructions given. She pitches fits at bedtime and for a few weeks REFUSED to sleep in her crib, or really sleep at all in general. Well, I don't know about you but dealing with a cranky two year old when you both are exhausted is practically an impossible task. She melts to the floor when she don't get her way, and whines for things she wants after you tell her no.

For instance, she wakes up at 8 am wanting a sucker. "Mama, sucker! Mamaaaaaaa, sucker! Sucker mama. Peas. Suckerrrrr!!! Waaaaa!" Well, the suckers are for special, special treats, not for breakfast. So I continue to tell her no. And she continues to cry. So I walk outside on the porch while she is rolling on the floor whining. Then suddenly it stops (I only left her in there for a few minutes, basically to let her know she wasn't going to get any attention for that behavior, I had already tried distraction multiple times with failed attempts.) When I walk back in she was singing a different tune, she was fine.

I have also had to leave a grocery cart full of groceries in the middle of Walmart recently. She was out of control. She was leaping over the side of the buggy, running from me, wanting me to hold her then when I would hold her, she would wrestle out of my arms. It was disastrous. I was so mad. I just picked her up, walked out, and left. I probably shouldn't admit this, but if I could have left her there and KNEW she would have been safe, I might would have, just until I cooled off for a minute. I am a terrible mama.

Part of all this has made me realize just how impatient I am, and how quick tempered I am. You know how you see those parents with the kids that are sitting stone still in the buggy, or in the restaurant, or church, those kids that have the most laid back temperament and always seem to be on the best behavior. Haha! I just wonder what their secret is??? Seriously! I think it has a lot to do with the temperament of the child and parent. Norah Kate is a very busy, active, smart, independent little girl and I am not very laid back, and have pretty high expectations for how my children are supposed to act in public so therefor, my child usually acts like a heathen. Most days I feel like I don't know what the heck I am doing.

Let me also say that she does not act this way without getting in trouble. We always try distraction and speaking in calm, firm voices first. When that don't work we do time out or .... well you know. Time out hasn't been very successful, she just gets up crying and comes to me... I re-direct her back to the chair but usually spend more time re-directing than her actually sitting in timeout. I swear she cries harder over time out than a spanking.

The only time she really gets a "spanking" (more like a swat on the diaper) is when she is doing something that is going to hurt her after being told no, hitting, and biting. Those are absolute no-no's. I always explain why she is getting in trouble. Like the other day when she hit me with the wooden spoon. She had been told no several times for going after Hoss with the spoon and had it taken away from her, well she somehow got it back and I was sitting on the couch and WHACK... right in the back of the head with the spoon. Boy, she knew she was gonna get in BIG trouble as soon as she did it.

I know I am making it sound like she is terrible, but really she is not. We have more good days than bad. I call the bad times my "Bad Mommy Days" where it just seems like God is testing my every ability to be a parent. I praise her way more than I scold her. For any and everything, for when she does something by herself, for when she does something sweet, for just be sweet, and mot important when she is behaving.

Along with the "Terrible 2s" has also come some very sweet moments. She now tells us she loves us and misses us. She gives tight, squeeze hugs. The best and sweetest kisses. She tries to share her suckers and cookies.

She can sing her ABCs "A,B,C,D,E,J"- It's a start :)
And count to 10- 1,2,3,4,5,7,9,10.

She knows her body parts, has started peepee-ing in the potty some, can put on her own shoes (and usually on the right foot!) and is trying to put on her own shirt and pants. She "reads" Llama Llama Nighty, Night. I have been reading that book to her since she was in-utero so she really does almost know it word-for-word.

She says "Amen!" after the blessing and night time prayers. She says "Bless you!" when someone sneezes and says "Thank you, your welcome."

She is the absolute sweetest, smartest little girl I know... and while there are days where I could hang her up by her feet, any time she isn't with me I miss her SO much. It is just way to quiet when she isn't here or when she is sleeping.

I know that the "terrible twos" is just a phase, and it is going to teach me to be a more patient, better person. I also have a higher respect for single parents too and military moms. I could NOT do this by myself. There is no way. I am just trying to learn not to sweat the small stuff, be as patient as I can, and give her as much cuddly, TLC time as I can during this time in her life.