Mommy Mondays: Life for Two Year Olds

I haven't done an update on what's going on with us in a loooooong time.  So now that Thatbaby is chugging his way to 3, I thought I would share some of the great hallmarks of 2.

1. Eating. Oh the joys of 2.  Like 1, but with attitude.  We get a lot more "I don't yike (fill-in the blank).  He's still great with breakfast, where he'll eat a cereal bar as soon as he's up, then cereal with Thatboy, then either eggs or oatmeal with me.  Lunches often come home uneaten, because he apparently spends the lunch period socializing with his friends.  And dinners are hit or miss.  This week he's been great about eating dinners, but the weeks prior, not so much.  His new favorite dinner time phrase is "I try it, if I no yike it, I get some other thing to eat."  Favorite food?  M&Ms.

2. Potty training. We're pretty much still in the same place we've been.  Some days he asks to sit on the potty, other days he doesn't want to.  We'll get so excited when he asks, only to have him pee on the floor later that same day.  We put him in underwear after his last diaper change of the day, since we usually are 10-15 minutes from bathtime.  And he loves wearing those.  And knows that big boys who go on the potty get to wear them.  But, he's still not interested.

3. The little clothes-horse.  I wasn't sure when this was going to happen, so for those of you with younger kids - it happens at 2.  When they start wanting to pick out their own clothes.  Thatbaby is very definite about the clothes he wants to wear and those he doesn't want to wear

4. School.  He loves it!  During spring break he kept asking to go to school.  He comes home singing songs, and loves to show his artwork.  Of course, this doesn't change the fact that he still cries for me to stay about half the time at dropoff.

5. Manipulation.  Thatbaby has already learned that if dad says no, you should ask mom.  And if mom says no, you should ask dad.  Somewhere he picked up  "I not asking you, I asking daddy" after one of us tells him he can't have/do something.  Or flat out lying when one of us asks what the other said.

6. Tantrums.  Oh the tantrums.  English is Thatbaby's second language.  His first is Whine.  Everything is a matter of tears and whining.  Today there was a tantrum about being in the car, not wanting to go home, wanting to go home, not having water to drink, not wanting to eat dinner, not wanting to get his band-aid wet, not being allowed to slam doors, not wanting to wash his hands, wanting me to help him with a bath, wanting me to play with him......

Two is totally trying.  It's exhausting.  But at the same time, it's a pretty fun age.  They are so full of personality and we can't wait to hear the next "pearl" to drop from his lips.