Hello Terrible Twos

Goodbye to the sweet-to-everyone baby boy. It's official. Alex has hit his terrible twos. He is still my sweetie, but boy howdy! When that kid has a tantrum, he has a TANTRUM! It's not just the tantrums though. It's a new thing I like to call the 'mine syndrome'. Everything that any other kid has is really his. Not theirs. No sharing. Period. My friend came over with her one year old (Wesley) and as soon as he would pick something up to play with it, Alex would run over and grab it away. And not just toys, mind you. Paper, balloons, food...shoot, I'm sure if Wesley had cat poop in his hand, Alex would feel compelled to snatch it away without a second thought. And as soon as I tell him to give it back and try to pry the object out of his kung-fu grip, he proceeds to throw himself on the floor in a fit of rage. Lovely, isn't it? Poor Abby can't hold on to anything for more than a split second before her godzilla-like brother comes stomping over to take it away. I worry she will grow up with a complex. If this little monkey doesn't get his way with food, drink, toys, bath, playtime, etc...then the hulk-side of Alex rears it's ugly head. I'm just waiting for the moment when he turns green and grows two feet taller. But after his brief moment of devastation, he turns back into the precious, sweet, always helpful little boy I cherish so much. Don't get me wrong, I cherish him even at his worst moments of anger. But he sure does know how to push my buttons sometimes. And punishment? yeah...right. NOTHING works with this kid. Timeout you say? no...not effective. Spanking? pardon me while I laugh...because he thinks it's hilarious to get a swat on the bottom. And no, I'm not one of those parents who spanks for everything. It's only reserved for willful defiance and endangering someone or himself. But it never works so I don't really do it. I don't think he understands punishment right now.
So let the terrible twos come. I'm going to have one of those little toddlers that the terrible twos were named after. This is gonna be a bumpy ride.

Don't let that innocent smile fool you. He's just plotting his next disaster.

And now to Abby. Miss thing has decided that she doesn't want to stay in one place all the time. She now rolls to her destination. She also scoots backwards as far as she can go until she becomes wedged between the couches or other obstacles. It's funny to leave the room for a minute and come back to find her in random places. She is all over her crib at night and sometimes wakes up as mad as a hornet because she has rolled or scooted her way into a position she can't wiggle her way out of. I tell ya, between my 5 month old and my almost 2 year old, being a mother has got to be the most interesting and fascinating thing I've ever done in my life. I might change my mind on that when the teenage years hit though.

Can we say Adorable? Look at that sweet face!