There are days when I think to myself "Self... Two SUCKS!"

Examples of actions that cause me to prolaim this:

1. This weekend, I told Caleb to clean up his toys.  Caleb looked at me and said (in a very serious voice) "I NO clean up toys.  YOU clean up toys MAMA!" 

My eyebrow immediately went up (if you know me, you know exactly what I'm talking about) and I heard myself say something my own mother used to say to me, "I wasn't asking.  I'm telling you to clean up your toys."

2.  The temper tantrums.  OH the temper tantrums.  If I say "time to go home for dinner."  I get "5 minutes?" as an automatic response.  When I say "No, it's time to go."  Caleb then launches himself into crying and stomping his feet and sometimes hitting things (occasionally mama).  The stomping feet is actually kind of cute... but the hitting of Mama (or Daddy) is NOT!

3. Whining/asking the same question 50 times in a row.  Drives.  Me.  CAH-RAZY!  After the above tantrum, Caleb will proceed to whine until he manages to be distracted by something else.  And sometimes it takes like 15 minutes.  During which he will alternate asking for whatever it is that I took away AND whining when I say no.  And I cannot figure out how to get him to STOP doing this.  UGH!


And THEN there are days when I think to myself "Self... Two is AWESOME!"

Examples of actions that cause me to LOUDLY proclaim this:

1. When Caleb spontaneously runs over to me, grabs my face in his hands and gives me kiss after kiss after kiss.  Then declares "I love you SO MUCH mama!"  My heart melts...

2. Caleb has become infatuated with his Micky Mouse stuffed animal.  Micky MUST travel everywhere with us.  Caleb feeds Mickey.  Caleb hugs Mickey.  Caleb tells Mickey he's being naughty.  Sometimes he even talks for Mickey using a high pitched voice.  (I'll admit he's copying me when he does that because sometimes I "talk" for Mickey)  He also insists that I kiss Mickey goodnight and give him hugs whenever I give Caleb hugs.  I just find this incredibly adorable and sweet.

3. Potty training is almost over.  Seriously.  This is AWESOME!  Now all we have to do is train him to push down and pull up his own pants and he'll be a big boy going to the potty ALL BY HIMSELF. 

4.  He is developing quite the memory.  Sometimes this is good... sometimes this is bad.  I generally find it cute.  An example is this:  It's bedtime and Caleb will randomly suggest an activity that means NOT going to bed, like "Mom, let's watch WALL-E."  And I will say, "No it's time to go to bed."  Caleb will commence whining and crying and I'll say "If you go to sleep, we'll watch WALL-E when you wake up."  This will calm him down.  Then the next morning, as soon as I walk into his bedroom, he asks immediately "Watch WALL-E?"  And since he reminds me about WALL-E... I have to fulfill that promise.  Now I just have to watch what I promise because he actually REMEMBERS.  What a little man.

5.  He loves to "help".  As a parent, I constantly try to remind myself that this is good, even when it adds an extra 15 minutes to a 10 minute project.  Then again, he only likes to "help" when HE wants to help, not when I ask him to.  But it's still fun to see him take an interest in activities.  Next step, giving him his own chores (like feeding the dog).

6.  He spontaneously says things that are incredibly appropriate.  In the past, much of what Caleb would say was just parroting Chris or I.  But somedays he will say just the right thing at just the right moment.  And I realize he "gets it".  An example:  We were at the aquarium looking at the Jelly Fish exhibit.  The first tank we went up to, he looked at the jelly fish gently moving through the water and said "Ooooooo, bootiful!  Mama, ees bootiful!"  And I got tears in my eyes because golly garsh, he is just growing up!

I guess that in general, the good outweighs the bad.  He is getting bigger.  He is learning so much.  He is getting SUCH a personality.  And so far, his personality is loving, caring, and sweet.  But it's also demanding, loud, boisterous, happy and sometimes lazy.  I can't wait to watch him grow up more and see this personality continue to bloom. 

Thank heaven for little boys!