This is Two

Having a two year old is consuming me, as you’ve probably perceived by each and every one of my posts.

He is either so delightful or so maddening I can’t function properly. It’s quite the daily expedition.

Yesterday we had a pretty good day. When ‘nap-time’ rolled around I made sure not to say the words nap or sleep. I simply told him that after he was done with his snack we were going to have quiet time. He was not thrilled with the idea and after crying for a minute took MUCH longer than needed to eat his craisens and cheese balls. When he was finally finished I took him in and was trying to explain that he could quietly look at books and play but I was going to shut the door and he needed to stay in there. His response? “Sleep little? Please?” Like I am forcing him to play!! I suppose as long as a ‘nap’ is HIS plan it’s a good one! But he also wanted this ‘sleep’ to take place in MY bed. So be it! He went right to sleep and stayed that way for 2 hours! I’ve decided he can ‘sleep little’ in my bed everyday. {Let’s just hope he thinks it is just as good of a plan when I suggest quiet time again today!}

It was so funny when he woke up, he came to me and took my face in his hands and said, “Glad you happy?” I responded with, “Yes I am so glad you are being happy today!” He then gave me a big hug and went about his way. Then on the way into town to drop him off with his dad so I could go to work he was having this conversation with himself, “Dad, good day. Sleep Moms bed. Be happy”

I can’t not mention the ‘excuses’ he uses daily. Whenever he is asked to do something or someone suggests something to him that he doesn’t agree with he will give you the response, “Too Big”, "Not Day" {meaning not today} or “Sick” The funniest was yesterday when in the store Jason wanted Bracken to hold his hand and Bracken stomped his foot and said, “Sick!” Usually this means I am too sick to do what you want me to do but in this context we had to laugh.

Just another sweet thing Bracken did - This morning he got up with Jason around 7 and ended up coming in to bed with me, as I pretended to be asleep. He laid down next to me, put his hand on my face and started to sing, “sun away, sun away, please sun away” it took me a minute to figure out what the song was. Do you know?

That's Right Nick! You Are My Sunshine :)

Makes Me Smile

I must sit down and write about how much fun Bracken is... {when it is NOT nap time.}

We got up this morning and I asked if we should have breakfast before we headed down to hibernate in front of the TV. His response was, "Sounds Great Mom!" I love it.

Yesterday the toaster was out on the counter when we got up and he proceeded to drag his chair over to get the toaster down telling me, "No Bread Silly" {He had wanted toast for dinner the night before and we didn't have any more bread} I proceeded to tell him that if he left it out that we could put Pop Tarts in... "Sounds Great!" as he jumps up and down clapping.

This is a quick and short post because I HAD to write while I'm lovin and cuddling him... give us a few hours when he is totally ornery and needing a nap but won't take one and he'll be locked in his room and I won't be in the mood to share how much I adore the kid!

As for now he is sitting next to me with his hand on my leg, happily entertained watching "Buzz Lightyear McQueen" {as he calls Toy Story.}

I am trying to figure out where the phrase "Sounds Great!" came from. I say sounds good or sounds fine but Great? not a phrase I ever use. Wondering if it came off of a Disney movie we've seen, I just can't place it...

Today

I guess it started out okay. He slept till 8 then played with his barn till 8:30 which meant I got to sleep. That was good. And then for breakfast we had a Pop Tart and chocolate milk. Then we played play-doh. Then I gave in and let him pick a movie. His pick today was "new goove" {The Emperor's New Groove} Then we went upstairs and got dressed, cleaned up his room and even vacuumed. For lunch he requested toast. So I conceded and put bread in the toaster, I even put peanut butter on it and turned it into a toasted PB sandwich when he freaked because I was putting butter and not "p-butter" on it.

I have tried so hard to be someone he wants to stay home with. No avail. Next I tried to empty the dishwasher and he freaked out because we needed to go get dad to make "cakes" and proceeded to throw the dishes out of the dishwasher at me.

He had a time out and then I asked him if he wanted to make cookies with me... yes I know how to make cookies and we have even done it together once before. He slapped my leg and said, "No. Dad. Cakes!"

He is currently in his room crying because he is "wake" and I'm forcing him to nap.

signing off-

Mean Mom

Remembering

Mean Mommy

I was impulsively malicious today. I couldn’t take it anymore. I don’t feel good {have a bit of a head cold} and I’m pregnant {yes those are my lone excuses.} Bracken was screaming {he doesn’t feel good either} and he wanted his binky.

His latest way to show rage is to throw stuff at me, when he does and I tell him not to, he responds with a high pitched screech. I am getting good at sending him to his room when these things happen; in fact yesterday I sent him to his room 2 or 3 times within 10 minutes. When he came out the last time he had his blanket and said, “Sleep grammas.” I felt cruel.

{Side note: Bracken only uses his binky when he is in bed - nap time & bedtime.}

Back to today. The day I landed in dangerous territory. I wasn’t handling the “terrible two’s” very well. I went and got the binky and said, “You want it? Fine.” I proceeded to cut the top off of it and handed it to him.

If I thought the tantrum was bad before the eruption that followed was agonizing as I realized what I’d just done. Envisioning the nightmare to follow, the sleepless nights… wait I’m not sleeping anyway. I can do this. Or so I thought a few hours ago.

After he screamed at me for oh probably 15 minutes he must’ve decided it wasn’t worth it, because his mood changed drastically and he suddenly wanted to vacuum. I told him that was a good idea and we vacuumed. The binky was forgotten… or so I thought.

While vacuuming he wanted to call Granny. I was fine with that, I dialed for him and handed him the phone. The first words out of his mouth: “mom broke binky” {Yes a full sentence, but I couldn’t be excited about his capability to communicate over the phone; I was mortified that he was going to hate me forever.}

After he was done on the phone I proceeded to have a little chitchat with him about what happened.

Me: “Did mom break your binky?”
Bracken: “Broke binky. Cry.”

He then pretended to cry and went off to do something else. I was pacified {no pun intended.} It seemed as if he was going to be okay with it… or so I thought. Naptime hadn’t rolled around yet.

When the dreaded naptime did roll around I was prepared to be resolute about not giving him a binky {yes, there are others put away in the drawer.} As expected he cried, wanted his dad, and did not want to sleep without it. I offered to sing or read a book; he flat out told me to leave and pointed to the door. {All very good for my sense of worth.} He cried for a few minutes then stopped and I started to feel relieved… until he came out and said “Wake!” Ha. I then hauled him back to his bed and told him he had to go to sleep so we could go see Dad when he woke up. This time around he cried for a bit then started wailing for me to, “Wait. Come back. Please. Wait.” I didn’t give in and he did fall asleep.

I went to check on him when he’d been asleep for about 10 minutes. He was in his bed, collapsed. Then the phone rang and I started to talk and cough. So much for that idea. He is now awake and crying for his mommy. {At least he’s crying for me though, right?}

As I sit listening to him cry I must say I am impressed he is staying in his bed. I know he is tired and I know he doesn’t feel good, so he needs his nap… does he need his binky too?

I didn’t plan this. Sure, I thought one day I would take it away cold turkey, and by the end of the week we would be binky free. Yes, he would cry himself to sleep at first but then he would forget it.

But I didn’t anticipate being so intolerant of my 2 year old that I would spitefully cut it up in front of him and have to stand by what I had done just weeks before I bring a new baby into the world and let him know it doesn’t revolve around just him.

Pray for me…

Wait he stopped. Might he actually be asleep?

I seriously need help here. Should I just give in? He is such a good boy; he only uses it in bed. He leaves it there when he gets up {most of the time.. and when he has to be reminded he says okay and goes and spits it back out on the bed.}

I have also sworn against giving the little sister a bink at all. Many frown at that... but I don’t think I can do this again!!!

What are your thoughts?

Came around the end of August

Another summer's promise was almost gone


The whole town shut down


Everybody in town was surely there


Judging sheep and judging pies


Fighting for the first place prize


And a petting zoo, yeah, they had that too


There's nothing bigger in this small town



than the county fair...

Lyrics adapted from Bruce Sringsteen, Lonestar & The Beach Boys