E's little voice at 8 AM this morning. She was up with Daddy getting breakfast; Cereal and milk. My first thought: I love her little voice and how she says certain words. My second thought: Wow! Did I get to sleep in? Yes, technically 8:30 is sleeping in for this mama.
My perfect Sunday morning quickly went tumbling down hill. E turned into Little Miss Crabby pants and wanted everything and nothing at all. That is the biggest struggle these days: interpreting her words, which are most of the time whining and impatient squawks. Yes, I said squawks. Okay I realize my toddler is not a farm animal but when it is not even 9 AM and I haven't had my first sip of coffee she sure sounds like a farm animal.
I hoped and hoped that my daughter would, by some miracle, beat the odds of the terrible two phase. I remember writing about the terrible two stage way before it begun. Wow, was I fooling myself.
Lately, dealing with my toddler is rough. Through the kicking, yelling and tears I know that this is just a phase and it will pass but in the midst of the frustration between R, E and me I just want to stick my head in hole. Is this normal?
I've been thinking a lot about all the Summer things I used to do: relaxing in the sun, going to the beach every weekend, bike rides down town, going to the pool, etc. I snuck in 30 minutes in the sun this weekend I realized how much I miss just relaxing. I want to say that having a toddler doesn't leave room for much but it's not true. A toddler forces you to think on your feet and seize every opportunity you can to soak up the sun for a few minutes, put a fresh coat of nail polish on your toes, read a few pages in a good book, or ride a blog entry.
Having a toddler forces you to focus on other things too: playing in a tiny tent, rolling on the living room floor giggling about nothing at all, pulling a wagon down the street, splashing in the waves when you make it to the beach between nap times. Having a toddler forces you to focus on the small, wonderful things in life. New words, new books, a Disney movie, a face full of ice cream, collecting rocks in buckets... E forces me to have patience and better communication. She forces me to slow down while the rest of the world rushes passed us.
Our day made a turn for the better as we made our way to the beach. Every time we come over the hill and E sees Lake Michigan she yells beach! beach! She actually played in the water this time and when it was time to go she didn't make a fuss.
It's a learning experience. There will always be something new when helping your child learn and grow. Some days its bad and some days its good. And then there are days that are great.
Keep Loving.
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