"I'm Not Sleeping"

Yes, dear, and neither are we. Oh my Gawwwwwd, what a long day. Baby was very 2ish today. And I had a headache, which made me less patient. But it was like a thunderstorm of annoying 2-year-old behavior all day. Not responding to questions when asked. Ignoring me when I tell her to stop doing something, like EVERY thing I asked her not to do today. Breaking stuff, just because. Well, I guess it's because she's being a scientist, but ANNOYING. Messing up my stuff. I even prepared a sculpture session for her, with tons of my materials, like all the stuff she wants to get into all the time. That worked for about 10 minutes. And I was doing it with her, doing my own sculpture, and so of course she has to come over and mess with my stuff, even though I was helping her with hers when she wanted. No, she has to grab my pieces that I've already glued on, and pull them off. Aaaaaarrrgh! Then she pulled a stamp pad apart while "helping" to clean it up after she pulled it off a table taller than her. Like, pulled the spongy bits off the backing. And got it on herself, her clothes, the floor, and her binky.

Walking away when you're reading her a story. So you ask her about 4 times if she's done with the story or wants to finish it, with no response, before you shut the book and get up to do something else. Only to have her come running and insist she wants the story! What she really wants is your soul. No, okay, that's a bit harsh. But if you had the day I had...she just wants your complete and undivided attention, even if she's not paying any attention. You aren't allowed to do anything else. You're like one of those 19th century English butlers who has to be standing by at all times in case the master needs his nose wiped, even if your father is dying in the next room (reference to Remains of the Day). But I digress.

Wouldn't eat anything but sugar today, except for a few bites of good stuff. Wanted something to eat before nap, so I got it for her and then told her I was going to get myself a sandwich, and she said she was almost done, so I didn't make a sandwich. Two hours later, she fell asleep for nap. OH MY GAWD! And that was after 74 different delaying tactics.

Drinking my drink, after I let her make a cup of lemonade for herself. Grabbing my food out of my hand to nibble it, even if she has the exact same food on her plate. Not eating her food unless you feed her bite by bite. That one is really getting old.

Phew. It's 11:30pm now and I think she's finally gone to sleep, as I don't hear her running, jumping, or talking anymore in the other room. John got a taste of all this fun when he got home. I had to go in the bathroom and cry.

It's HARD being a parent some days. And it's not like she's trying to be a little monster. She's just two, and she's acting like a 2-year-old. I'm not even angry with her, although I am angry. And frustrated. And I make sure to tell her that Mommy is not mad at her. Most of the things she's doing, she can't help, she's not intentionally annoying me. She's just figuring things out. And testing limits. That one's a bit harder. I mean, the 74 delaying tactics? Who wouldn't want to scream? And it's even harder right now because she's sick. She has a cough and supersnot ("I have boogers," she'll tell us, when she needs her nose wiped) and a low fever. And so of course we cut her a little more slack. I think the 73rd delaying tactic was that she wanted a bottle of water (no, we aren't giving our baby Evian, she just gets a baby bottle with water in it). And at first I was like "No, no more delaying!" But then I thought, well, crap, what if her throat is sore and she really needs a drink of water? And I'm supposed to be pushing the fluids anyhow. So I asked her "Okay, do you really need a drink of water?" knowing full well she'd say yes. And I got it for her. Which gave her the opportunity to get up and start jumping on the bed again. Aaaaaaaaaa!

And in the middle of it all, she's constantly hugging me and kissing me and cuddling up and saying "I love you, Mommy." So whattya gonna do?