Being Two Years Old

I'm finding that having a two-year-old means that your day can be somewhat unpredictable. At least that is how it is in our house. Some days go smoothly with only a couple of meltdowns, and other days it seems as though Lainey wakes up crying and just continues to do so throughout the day. I think she's getting her two-year molars, and I do know that is painful. She wakes up in the morning with her finger in her mouth complaining about how it hurts. I think that it is just tough being two. Two-year-olds are figuring out that they are able to do things and make choices and decisions for themselves, yet they have parents and caregivers who impose boundaries and insist that sometimes the answer has to be "no." All in all, we are learning about life with a toddler and with each day Lainey seems to teach us something new about being two.

Fun things about our two-year-old...

• a growing vocabulary = funny sayings and and phrases
• communication skills are improving
• comprehension skills are improving
• new experiences and opportunities
• her daily laughter, smiles, giggles, and hugs
• her comments, questions, and observations
• her love for Walker
• hearing her say "Love you."
• creative play
• hearing that all of her behavior is normal, and that I don't need to be worried about it as a parent
• She's slowly getting better at putting away toys.
• I laugh about how literally Lainey takes the things that I say. For example, in the bathtub, I wanted to see if she could blow bubbles in the water. So I asked her, "Lainey, can you blow bubbles?" Well, you can guess what she did. She took a handful of bubbles and blew them out of her little palm. She does the same thing when I tell her to "hop up" because we need to get moving. She gets up from her sitting position and hops.
• No goal is unattainable in her mind. She thinks if she could just reach really high, and maybe if she stands on a couple of pillows, she could grab the balloon that is floating along the second-story ceiling in our living room. She does this with everything that is out of her reach; she will stand on her tippy toes and say "reeaaacchh" and stretch her arms up in the air or towards the object that she wants. Anything is possible. I love that!

And now, the not-so-fun things...

• the tears that flow when she doesn't get her way
• the words "share" and "take turns" and "be nice" seem to be losing their meaning
• two-year molars
• hearing "mine" and "my turn" and "myself" about four hundred times a day
• Using the excuse that "she's two" is getting old. But everyone seems to get it - it is just hard being two. Right?
• Listening skills? What listening skills?
• If you're doing something that Lainey wants to do, then she's happy. If you're doing something she doesn't want to do, then she's cranky. That's the bottom line.
• Separation anxiety is at its worst for us. And I thought we were over this stage in development. Lainey is extremely clingy to me. She is my advocate and my loyal little sidekick. I think it's because we stayed at home so much when Walker was born: no church, no gym, no Bible Study... I didn't have to drop her off in a nursery-type-setting for a couple of months (except for school, which she loves) and she got pretty used to that. For the most part (and there definitely are exceptions), separation from me is not fun for her. And it's not fun for me, either, because she cries and reaches for me and doesn't seem to understand that "Mommy comes back." Well, she does understand that because she always happily announces, "Mommy come back!" when she sees me but for some reason, she has a hard time remembering this when I do leave.

Don't get me wrong. I love our little two-year-old more than words could ever say. She is a true joy, a light in our lives. I am not ashamed to admit, however, that some moments are tough. It's all a phase, a stage, a season. With the ending of one, another one approaches. I can definitely say that things are never dull or quiet in our house (except at naptime and bedtime...ahhh...) and with each day comes funny stories and anecdotes along with a healthy dose of tears and frustrations. I am sure Lainey would agree with me on that one. :)