Those Terrible Twos

We have arrived. 

Keira may not "technically" be two, but boy does she act it. Developmentally that girl is right there. I've seen it coming for a few months now, but in the past couple of weeks we have really hit it. 

Seriously, so much screaming and body flailing. Crying and whining. She has sought to strike out her own independence and she lets me know it. What once was 30 seconds to get seated in her car seat has now become a minimum of 5 minutes. That doesn't sound that long, but when you're standing there, watching your child slowly creep themselves into their seat it nears on agony. I can't pick her up and set in there anymore, she MUST do it herself and at her own pace. Boy I'm trying to be patient. And you know what, to be honest I think I'm doing ok. For now. 

It isn't all bad. We have our good moments, and our bad. Quite often though it changes within the blink of an eye. What once was so good quickly becomes so terrible.

We went to the library for storytime today and she was fantastic. The firefighters came, so it was extra crowded, which I think is what kept her close to me. Otherwise that girl likes to run and pull out as many books as she can. She sat (mostly) and listened to the stories, and when we went outside to see the firetrucks she kept right with me without a complaint. Fantastic! 

But then after our very successful library trip we stopped by the grocery store on our way home. And that is where it turned ugly. We stopped in just to grab milk. And then I got distracted by the good deal on Halloween candy so we picked up a few bags. But that was it for our grocery trip. Easy in, easy out, right? I even let the child walk, which for me was torture. 

And this may have been what did us in. 

As we made our way to the checkout she refused to follow me, She was having fun. And so began the screaming. I probably should have secured her in a shopping cart from the beginning, but since it was supposed to be a quick trip we didn't. Had I done that at least she would have been screaming in a controlled environment, not in my arms and all over the floor. The cashier jokingly said to me, "Having fun?" She then told me how she remembers those days. 

Honestly, I hope I forget them. 

Our trip then ended with us walking out to the car, me with two gallons of milk and a bag of candy in one hand and a limp screaming toddler being drug through the parking lot in the other. I then wrestled her into the car seat and we finally set off home where she was perfectly happy and adorable.

I love two. Oh I do. But why is it so bipolar? 

Somedays I may think I am losing my mind listening to her tantrums, but most of the time she is so stinking cute. I love the way she says "hi" to anyone walking by us. How after an announcement is made over the intercom at the store she always replies with a quick "thank you". She is generally so willing to share with Hailey and is just happy to be playing with her. And then there's those times when she puts her face right up close to mine and whispers a jumbled string of sounds, then pulls back and smiles at me. Oh her singing! I MUST video her singing someday- the intensity of it is hilarious. 

She also has a magical way of softening my heart. She really helps me see the bigger and much more important picture.

She brought me a book yesterday and I really was ready to begin working on dinner, plus I really should fold those clothes that have been in the laundry basket all week, along with the vacuuming that has been in the back of my mind but I just haven't gotten to. 

So I tried to put her off. 

But she was so insistent that we read. Ok, 5 minutes. I reluctantly sat down with her and pointed out the animals. I asked her to find a few and she was so excited each time she spotted them. Very quickly I relaxed and even I began to have fun. And then I wanted to completely forget about dinner and any other sort of responsibility I had. I just wanted to sit and cuddle with my cute girl. And so we did.

Those terrible twos are pretty terrible when they're bad. But they are also pretty fantastic when they're not so terrible.

She may scream and whine, but I'll keep her, because her smile and infectious laugh more than make up for anything else she may throw at me.