Odessa, 2 1/2 years old

I thought I knew what people meant by the "terrible twos"... But that was before I had a 2 1/2 year-old of my own. Some days are awesome. She is beautiful, silly, fun, sweet...all those wonderful things. Then some days are not so awesome.

Here is an example:
wake up, cry because I didn't let her play with the oatmeal before cooking, begin eating, cry because she has a blue bowl instead of a green one, throw bowl on floor, ... (continue this pattern for ten hours)...

It is one, big all-day meltdown. It really reminds me of when she was a super-colicky new noodle, I don't know what is wrong or how to fix it. It doesn't appear that their is any rhyme or reason to the madness. I try to change what I am doing so to give her more (stop cleaning and start drawing or doing puzzles) but it really doesn't seem to help anything. It is like she needs a padded room or a tranquilizer. Just kidding!

Oh, the drama. But, despite all of it, I find myself melting with love for her. That has to be the biology behind procreation. You just love them so much that you want more! Even when life is totally insane.

She just keeps growing and learning and it all happens so fast! She knows all her ABS's and most of her 123's. She counts to seventeen (we have seventeen steps which lead from our apartment to our garage). She pulls down her pants and goes "potty" on her own. But, as Larry said, she just can't put the diaper back on! :) I guess this means it is time for pull-ups or panties or whatever the next step is in potty-training. She gets in bed with her books when she is sleepy. She repeats EVERYTHING which is a big lesson for me that I say some phrases way too often (ex "I'm too tired!"; "Lar!"; "Sit down!")

Current obsessions: princesses, Elmo, the movie Mama Mia, ABBA music, pockets, hearts (as in the Valentine kind), glue, temp tattoos...