"Terrific Two's...Not Terrible Two's"

Some days I really believe this. Really. No kidding. Other days you'll find me curled up in the corner in a fetal position, rocking back and forth, eyes tightly shut, rubbing my temples with my fingers, repeating this mantra over and over again, desperately willing it to be true. Mostly though I live in a state of denial. Right now I am sitting at my computer blissfully blocking out the fact that the room I am sitting in looks like a hurricane struck, and this particular Blue's Clues video has probably been played 4,987 times. I know that this too shall pass.

I am getting pretty good at picking my battles. Some things are just so not worth it. Yesterday morning for instance I was getting Christopher dressed for church and while he willingly put on the pants and shirt we had picked out, he had issues with the socks. We picked out nice matching brown ones, and he threw a fit. Just laid down and cried. He had picked out ONE red sock to put on, and I hadn't realized that he really, really wanted that one red sock. I put on the two brown ones, because they a) matched, b) were handy, and c) there were two of them. So, the brown socks came off, and the red one went on, and I had John go get a second red sock. Second red sock goes on, and Christopher runs off, only to come back moments later with the second red sock ripped off and a green sock in his hand and a smile on his face. The mis-matched colors didn't bother me as much as the big fat hole large enough for his whole big toe to stick out. Don't ask me why that one hasn't been thrown out yet. So I happily complied with his sock issues hoping and praying we wouldn't have shoe issues. Remember these shoes?

These are his very favorites in the whole world. They are almost getting too small, and I am thinking I had better find a replacement pair quickly before we have a crisis on our hands. At any rate, these are his very favorite shoes. He can be regularly found wearing these shoes, and almost nothing else. So hoping that the "pick your battles" mentality held true, I let him have full creative license with the socks, but put on his nice, (brown) church shoes.

Two minutes later we had the same sort of situation with the sippy cup. He wanted the green one with the curdled milk that he found somewhere (probably hid it for safe-keeping), I put that one in the dishwasher and offered him a blue one with fresh milk. After many tears (him not me) I offered him his choice of colors from the cabinet and we settled on a yellow one with fresh milk. I wasn't even aware color was important to him until now. I thought it was about what was inside. (Don't even think about offering him water or something)

What I really do enjoy though are his new found attempts to communicate. He's a bit older than my first two were when they started talking, and that's okay, really. I'm just happy he says "mom." Actually it's more of a "mom mom mom mom mom." But oh how that little word repeated over and over again just sets my heart soaring. I think I mentioned once how Zach wouldn't even say that at 2 1/2 and I would dream he would, and then I would wake up and just cry because my baby couldn't even say "mama". Christopher's got a couple new words in his arsenal these days. "Boo" (Blue) and "coo" (Clue) not ever used together, we're not stringing different words together or anything, but he can be frequently heard saying "coo! coo! coo!" while watching his favorite show. He also walks around talking on his cellphone all day -an old one of mine not in use anymore, "huh-wo?" "huh-wo?". Or if anyone comes to the door, or leaves, like the kids when they go to school, he'll just stand there and stare at them despite their best attempts to get him to wave "bye-bye" until the door is shut, and then (and only then) he will frantically wave at the closed door saying "hi! hi!".

Ironically though I think my favorite form of communication from him so far is the sign language he's picked up. Just a couple words. "Please" and "More". When Zach wouldn't talk, I found a website for baby sign language (mybabycantalk.com) and it has little videos showing you the actions. Zach learned a bunch, I think he was just relieved no one was expecting him to talk anymore. Christopher only knows the two words so far, and he has his own little interpretation of the actions. For "please" instead of rubbing his chest, he rubs his belly, and if he's really excited about it (like he's asking for chocolate) he rubs his belly with both hands. "More" is a little more difficult to explain, you hold all your fingertips together on each hand, and then touch your fingers back and forth. He makes fists, and then knocks his knuckles together. I love it. It's like the non-verbal version of a kid who can't say something right. Madison will forever be my very favorite 'beanerina' ever, even though she's long since learned to say 'ballerina'.

Well I guess this is enough responsibility avoidance for a little while. I might be able to block out the toys on the floor and the brain-cell killing monotony of Christopher's favorite TV shows, but the dishes will not be ignored forever. Good thing I have a helper.