Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Overheard At Our House

Ah, the 2-year-old. Is there another creature on earth more a paradox than a 2-year-old? One moment hysterically funny, the next, hysterically crying. One moment you want to give her away to a passing stranger and the next you want to hug her tight and never let go. One moment she clings to your legs or asks to be picked up, the next she is pushing you away as she decides she is "a big kid". One moment she thinks something harmless is "too carey" (scarey), the next she is cheating death.

Here are a few recent quotes from our little paradox that had us cracking up.

The scene: Bronwen is dressed like a prim little girl, wearing a pink sweater with ballet shoes on the front, a hot pink skort, tights and t-strap shoes with a big bow in her hair. She runs into the house from the backyard, where she's been playing with "her kids" (the brothers).

Me: (observing that she is determined to do SOMETHING based on her demeanor,) What are you doing, Bronwen?

Bronwen: (seriously) I NEED to find a gun, Mama!

After a few moments of tearing apart the toy closet, she emerges with a clone trooper laser gun and a big grin on her face. She runs out to join the fray in the backyard and I am left shaking my head at my little girl.

Episode II
  • 1:30 pm Daddy puts Bronwen down for a nap with hugs and kisses all around.
  • 2:00 pm Mama enters Bronwen's room to check out the "carey bug" that Bronwen insists is lurking in the corners, preventing her sleep.
  • 2:15 pm Pathetic sobbing begins from Bronwen's room--something about how she didn't kiss and hug every single member of the family befor her nap. (You know, just in case she didn't survive the experience and it was her last earthly chance to see them.)
  • 2:30 pm Pathetic sobbing ends. Bronwen begins singing all her favorite songs at the top of her lungs: "Tomorrow", "The Family is of God", the theme song from Penguins of Madagascar (there are no words to this song, but that doesn't stop her), and "I Like to Move it, Move it" (also from PoM).
  • 3:15 pm Singing ends. Bronwen begins kicking her door methodically while calling for "her boys" to get her up.
  • 3:30 pm Her frustrated mother decides to let her up from her nap and opens the door.
Bronwen: (brightly) Good morning, Mama!
Me: (wryly) Good morning, sweetie!
Bronwen: (sweetly and animatedly) That was a great nap, Mama. Thank you for putting me to a nap. It was a great nap!

Just whom is she trying to kid? I know perfectly well that she didn't sleep a wink, nor did she like most of it.

What paradoxes have you seen in your toddler?

8 comments:

Stephanie said...

Okay, Michal, I'm actually a little freaked out that episode II is almost a word-for-word script of the daily ritual at our house with my 2-year-old Natalie. She is a pistol. I bet there were no less than 3,000 times today she wailed, "I want milk." But she had thrown up so I wasn't going to let her have it, so she repeated and repeated and repeated. Finally, I said, "Do you want some strawberry water?" and she turned all the sobs off immediately, hopped up smiling, followed me to the fridge, and gave me some heartfelt speech about how I'm the nicest mommy and she loves me. Exasperating and endearing all at the same time.

A mother heart said...

So funny. My baby turned 2 last Sunday. And both she and the almost 4-year old are crazy. And tiring. And lovable. But most of all crazy!

Joyful Noise said...

I am so glad that someone else has someone who is crying hysterically one minute and loving and kind the next minute. We were afraid something had possessed her.

Myrna said...

She just does all that so Grammy has something to laugh about.

Kim said...

Oh, Michal, we've been stuck in the "terrible twos" for about three years now with Amber. :) I'm not exaggerating, ask Brad and any of my family members. And the whole "you're the best mommy ever" followed by tears of torture is just a girl thing. If only they could grow out of it.

I can't wait for Drew's twos when my only worries will be hitting or throwing things rather than the manipulative drama that is my life with girls.

Oh but I love them so!!

Anonymous said...

My 4yo still has days like this at times!
I love picturing the image of prim little Bronwen searching for a gun.

An Ordinary Mom said...

Sounds suspiciously like what my 4 year old is still like. And of course my current 15 month old will be there before I know it :) !!

mindyluwho said...

I miss those days...and I don't miss those days! Once when I put my son down for a nap in his crib, I laid on the bed that was in the room for a few minutes to make sure he fell asleep. I woke up an hour later to see him walking through the door! I wonder what he was doing while I was napping!