Monday, November 8, 2010

Tantrum town

Oh, my word.

Things, they are a-changing around here.

My beloved two-year-old is undergoing a bit of a metamorphosis as he approaches his third birthday.


He's like a mogwai - so cute and cuddly,
just don't get him wet, or feed him after midnight

For the record, B was a difficult baby - colicky and cranky. Sensitive to over stimulation and alert to any changes in routine, however minor and well-intentioned they may have been. We walked a finely tuned, well choreographed, and intricately customized path for his highness.

As a toddler, he became significantly easier (a fact I didn't even realize until his brother came along and taught me everything I ever wanted to know about difficult, unruly and unmanageable toddlers).

Suddenly, however, my little man is declaring his independence, finding his voice, asserting himself and driving me absolutely nuts pointing out to me (like any good Buddhist teacher) that I have some work to do in the patience department.

Here's the truth about this week's tantrums:

At swimming he strongly disapproved of our new instructor and her ideas about how swimming class should be conducted. He screamed so loudly and obnoxiously asserted his opinion so vehemently that I thought briefly about dunking him. It was briefly! BRIEFLY, I said - do not call the Department of Social Services.


Perhaps we'll just move to a less structured swimming environment

And then there's his ongoing crusade against dirty golf balls. It is his strong opinion that golf balls are an outrageous and egregious offense against his sensibilities when they are dirty. "It has dirt ... on... IT!" he wails, jumping up and down, weeping as he carries the besmirched golf ball to me. "Mama will... clean... it... OFF!" The problem, as you may have guessed, is that golf balls are often dirty (especially when in the hands of a two year old).


Quality control.
I am deeply afraid of what the next 6-12 months have in store for us.

It ain't gonna be pretty, folks.

The good news is, if we all survive - I may, in fact, be a saint when it's over.  You think saint-hood comes with a decent 401K package?

2 comments:

  1. these blogs get better and better. can just see the little guy trying to assert himself with the daughter of john larner..must be a real test of wills. he is such a cutie but that is "nana talking" kisses to the beckett man keep driving mom NUTS ..she makes me laugh!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very funny! Love the photo in the kiddie pool! I hear ya that our little ones are our buddhist teachers...I most certainly could use some instruction in the patience department.

    ReplyDelete