27.2.11

The reasoning voice of reason

Holy smokes it's been a busy weekend - starting Friday with a day of Aunty duty. We have had baby birthday parties all weekend. Colton's 'friend' birthday party was yesterday and today we have little Nicole's (our friends little girl) and then afterwards, Colton's 'family' birthday celebration.

Since Colty has recently decided to epitomize the so called 'terrible twos' (which I really don't like to call them), Mom and Dad are happy to hand him over for an afternoon here and there so they did just that. We opened his birthday presents early because Aunty hadn't wrapped it yet and had it sitting on the table. He knew right away it was "Tolton's". He grabbed his plushy toy story mini chair off the table and we opened up his Buzz Lightyear walkie talkies. As you can see, he was thrilled. He sat in his chair and watched his Cowboy movie (Toy Story 3) and I photographed his happiness. We had a smoothie (a ritual when they come to Aunty's), and we went for a long walk at the airpark. Colty walked and walked and walked. But I learned the hard way that you never go somewhere like that without a stroller on hand even if he doesn't use it. Because you'll likely go most of the way and he'll need it, and maybe you won't have it, and maybe you'll have to carry him a long way. Maybe he'll even be kicking and screaming because he'll have wanted to run the complete opposite direction of where you needed to go. 
Maybe. Lesson learned.

I really never use the 'terrible two' term. I rather see it as him exercising his new found independence (can you blame him in a sense?!) I think at this age, children start to recognize that they have choices. They can scream say no at you if they please, walk the other way, or they can even completely ignore you if they so choose (which is often the case, around here anyhow). 

Our Mom has always said that you can't reason with a two year old. I'm still not sure if I fully disagree or not but I definitely always try - I feel like I need to try at the very least. If I really think about it, I probably spent more than half of our time together repeating things calmly and slowly (and in different tones and sentences) in hopes that he would eventually understand what I was asking of him. I didn't even consider it until later, but the truth of the matter is that he fully understands what he is being told - he's been quite communicative since he was young. The bottom line is that he doesn't really care, he's learning what it's like to be free, to do as he pleases. I can appreciate that, I really can. I'm so happy for him when he realizes he's accomplished something he's never done before or when he makes a choice for himself (even if it between the blue or orange cup). 

The hand in the air photo below is a perfect example of Colton telling me exactly what he wants me to do. He gently shoved me into the kitchen, put his hand up in the air and as I started to walk toward him again, he said STOP in a stern voice. I agreed to stand there and I peeked my head up a little more as I watched him wander back into the living room by himself (only ten or so feet away from me). I couldn't quite see him because he was squatted down toward the floor. But I heard him grunting over and over and I quickly realized just what he had been trying to tell me he needed ... a little privacy to take a ****!
Can you blame a boy - lol! 

I'll always try to continue encouraging my nephews (and of course our child one day as well) to express their wants, their needs, and any other feelings they'll have in the healthiest way possible because I see most of their expressions as just that - healthy! They'll absolutely need some guiding (yes, probably even half or more of your time in a day with them) but that's okay. It's our job as people who love them. 

P.S. Poppa if you read this, Colton pointed at every big grey truck yesterday and asked "Poppa's big truck?"  He also said "Poppa bye bye" when he saw one truck and so we had a talk about how we said bye to you but we get to see you again soon and he said "yaaa, soon!"

While I don't consider myself to be religious, I do consider myself spiritual. But I saw this verse from the bible that I really love.
"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 
1 John 3:18

xoxo!

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