why 'two' is not terrible at all

Friday night the hubby was out of town - so I was solo with the babes.

I was kind of dreading it, as it is kind of a bummer to be without your spouse on the weekend, and by 6pm on any night I am ready for a break from the kiddos.

Trying to make the best of it, I declared to Cormac that it was Friday Night Movie Night!  {insert exaggerated enthusiasm used by all parents to try to get their kids who don't understand quite what you are saying to get excited}

"I'm gonna put Sister to bed, then we are going to get in our jammies, make popcorn, watch Cars, and snuggle on the couch!"  I must have said this sentence about a million times throughout the dinner process.  Then of course he would repeat it back to me and mimic my enthusiasm.  He repeats everything nowadays and when you get them to say the right things it is actually kind of awesome.

Anyway, when 'Friday Night Movie Night' finally commenced, and we were snuggled on the couch in our pj's with a plate of cookies and a sippy cup of milk in front of us (he didn't want popcorn), animated movie playing...it was a moment that made my heart swell three times its normal size.  Truth be told I barely watched the movie, as I'm not that into animated kiddo flicks.  I spent the entire time hugging him tighter, smelling his hair, handing him cookies (he goes into zombie mode when a show is on) and resting my eyes, enjoying the calm and quiet.

Then when I put him to bed he said, "I like Friday Night Movie Night, Mama."
Me, too, kiddo.  Me, too.

Anyway, two has its challenges, for sure.

Daily meltdowns - he stomps and screams if you turn the light off in his room or put his toothbrush away or put him in his carseat rather than let him climb into it, because "That's MY job!!!!"

Extreme possessiveness - anything you put in front of the baby for her to play will all-of-a-sudden be something he HAS to have, even if it is simply to take it away from her and "put it back."

Super OCD - don't you dare put a toy in the wrong spot, or his sippy in the wrong spot, etc.

Testing the limits - sometimes I will ask him if he wants a 'spank', and with a smile he responds, "Wes. Wes, I would.  That would be nice." It reminds me of when my little Gram used to threaten to spank me, and I would say cheekily, "Go ahead!  It won't hurt anyway!" and she would chase me around the house with a flyswatter.  Anyway, other times Cormac will just have a giant meltdown at the mere mention of a 'spank' (which, by the way, equals a light, barely felt swat on the butt.  So far.)

But, the awesome things about two far outweigh the hard things.

Such as...

• How much more fun everything is now (pumpkin patches, Halloween, getting him pumped up for Santa/Christmas).  
• Singing - he sings!  With you!  Entire songs.  For this show-tune singing mama it is sheer awesomeness.
• He sleeps in his big boy bed.  Finally.  Entire nights.  Without getting out - well, for the most part.  It is just so much more fun having him sleep in a big bed for some reason.  
• He gets excited for mealtimes. (Well, unless he is doing something 'important,' such as 'working with Dada's tools,' which, by the way, is 'hard work.')  I love to feed my family - and when I get to say those magic words "Come and eat - dinner is ready!" I feel like such a mom.  I love when he pulls 'his' stool out and tries desperately to climb up into his booster seat.  I love that I still have to help him into it.  I love putting the food I've prepared in front of him, whether he eats it out not.  But the best is when he eats it and declares, "I like this!"

So while I sort of get why some think the 'twos' are 'terrible'...
it is still pretty much my favorite age so far.

g