Terrible-Two, Tater Tot

Tater, Tater, Tater!

Where do I even begin?  You turned 2 a couple of weeks ago before Christmas and unfortunately it was also one of my busiest days at work where I worked a full day and then  was on several calls through 1:30 am through the next day. But my love for you still miraculously found time to bake you a cake, and I still spent every moment I could next to you. 

So let me tell you a little about yourself at the two year mark.

You talk-- like really well!  This morning you said, "Where's my Elmo?  Oh!  There it is!"  Although it sounded more like "Wes my Almow? Oh Deh- is"  Those are full sentences in my book, little dude.  You're rockin!

You're becoming a picky eater like your brother was at this age, but you're not going on a Ghandi-like hunger strike like your brother did.  You'll still put any food in your mouth, but now you've learned to chew out the nutrients and discard the rest (usually into Mama's hands).  Sometimes you even walk up to our garbage, lift the lid and spit right into the can. 

You have a problem with the bottle, to which I mean you just WON'T transition to sippy cups. 

Bottles and your blanky - you still need both to take a nap.

Your tantrums aren't nearly as bad as your brother's were (yet - but we're still just starting off the year).  But you'll stand your ground, scream "NO!", cry and throw yourself on the floor to get your way sometimes.  And sometimes it works.

You really love Thomas the Train and stacking toys, but you'll also entertain your big brother by fighting with a pair of his Godzilla or Dinosaur toys.

Last year you were just barely learning to walk.  This year you are just learning how to pedal on your tricycle and jump with good balance.

When I sneeze, you say, "Bess you, Mama"

When you sneeze, and I say bless you, you say "Thank you Mama".

Any letter or number that you point to, you proclaim as the letter "E".

You and your brother fight by wrestling, but when shit gets real, you'll bite him.

You want to do things by yourself.  You want to feed yourself, you want to close the car door by yourself, you want to clean the table yourself with a napkin.  You often refuse my hand when we go on walks and get pissed when I grab your jacket hoody as an alternative to your hand (you don't get that cars and roads are dangerous). 

You love Mickey Mouse and scream, "Mickey!!!!!!!!!!" Anytime you see him. 

After I had you well trained as a crib sleeper, your Dad felt sorry for you sleeping alone a few months ago,  and invited you to our bed.  Since then you demand to sleep with us, and we're now a 100% co-sleeping family and the nursery is just toy storage.  --> This is probably another post entirely.

Happy Birthday Tater, as you enter into your terrible two's!  I just ask that you take it easy on your Mama for this phase.  Your brother beat me up pretty badly already. I'm still traumatized!

-Shirley (Mama Ruff)