Monday, May 13, 2013

The Good, The Bad and The Toddler

My baby girl turns TWO! Really, not my baby anymore. She's a person!

I couldn't be more honored to be the mama she chose to witness her transformation from baby to
toddler.

However, the miraculous milestones of toddlerhood give this mama equal opportunity to celebrate, and to complain. Half the time I'm down with the peace sign for two, the other half flipping the bird!

Here's what I mean about toddler schizophrenia:

My toddler has her own personality!
She insists on wearing a hat in eight degree weather, decides she only wants cake for breakfast or refuses to get into a car seat without a huge commotion.

She puts on her clothes all by herself!
After an hour's worth of effort.

She can undress herself too!
In public.

She understands cause and effect!
She opens the refrigerator to dump out the contents of an entire can of coffee or bag of walnuts.

She has a mouth full of baby teeth!
Which she uses to bite the cat, her parents and friends in baby classes.

She climbs up onto her chair to eat all by herself!
She climbs onto tables, bookcases and over various barriers meant to contain her.

She can talk!
Whine, say "no" and imitate my curse words with great precision and impeccable inflection.

She can walk!
Into a crowd or oncoming traffic.

She's gotten so big!
She can reach up onto kitchen counters and other surfaces that contain dangerous objects like knives and pens.

She's even tall enough to reach up and hold my hand when we're walking together!
She refuses to hold my hand when we're walking together.

She can run too!
Away from me after placing beads, pebbles and other random debris in her mouth that she's found on the ground and that are dirty and/or may result in choking.

She eats with a fork!
The fork makes a perfect catapult to propel food away from the table.

She's old enough for potty training!
Oh, yeah, we need to start potty training.

She throws a ball!
Or rocks, blocks and other heavy yet aerodynamic objects capable of breaking windows and/or causing bodily harm.

She likes to draw!
On walls, furniture, expensive family heirlooms and the entire length of her body.

Happy Birthday, sweet girl! I marvel at my growing, learning, curious beauty, who embraces the world with arms wide open!
When she's not making me want to pull my hair out.


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Photo Source: Mike Bailey-Gates, Flickr, this photo was resized, which does not suggest that the licensor endorses me, this site or its content.
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45 comments:

  1. What is it with 2 year old girls and taking their clothes off in public? brilliantly funny list, found you through Magic Moments linky.

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  2. Where does the time go? It is so wonderful to see their personality, but at the same time, frustrating, when they insist on enforcing it, especially doing things for themselves, and god help my ear drums if I try to help.

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  3. Happy Birthday for sure and I know 2 years old quite well having one through this twice in less two years now and you described it perfectly, Rachel!!

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  4. My son just turned two a couple weeks ago. This is EXACTLY what a new two year old is like. I love this! Aren't they so stubborn? It's incredible how much stamina and persistence they have. And I'm impressed that she can dress herself, even if it takes forever.

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  5. Happy Birthday, Claire. This is a great way to show her in 20 years how her milestones came with a lot of added adventure.

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  6. Love that little girl! Poor, Lloyd. I can still picture him pressed up against the wall of your kitchen while H and C ate his food.

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  7. Happy birthday Claire!

    I love your list, perfectly funny and true.

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  8. :) I love this post! Happy Birthday Claire!

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  9. Good luck with the potty training! I was lucky - my late mother-in-law showed me a way to have them already trained by the time both my girls were 18 months! Not hard, but required just a little patience and constancy! Willing to share it if any one is interested!

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  10. That sounds so much like my little girl who will be two in December. We are on the same page. Loved this post.

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  11. Claire and Reagan are SO alike! Yikes!
    Happy almost birthday pretty girl! You're gonna love your twos! Reagan says so!

    ¤´¨)
    ¸.•*´
    (¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
    www.raising-reagan.com

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for linking to Raising Imperfection.
      Please come back Friday to see if you were featured. :)

      ¤´¨)
      ¸.•*´
      (¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
      www.raising-reagan.com

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  12. Beautifully written. Love your spirit that you can laugh at these things and can make time to write.These are the best times and will never come back.So enjoy every moment:-)

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  13. I remember being sad and happy as each of my "babies" turned two! I love how you did this post, the good and not so good. Oh the joys of babies taking their clothes off, running away and saying no!! Congratulations to the both of you and a very happy birthday to your cutie!!

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  14. I love that! You really captured the good and bad of toddlerhood. I especially related to how she "imitates my curse words with great precision and impeccable inflection" or however you so eloquently put it. Yep- right there with you! I loved this post, especially as the mom of a 19 month old. We are going through some of these very same things...

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  15. You nailed it! Each milestone is great, but it brings about a new set of problems.

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  16. lmao! <3 it! My dd is almost 17mos she's growing so fast. Found you from Monday Mingle at Toughcookiemommy!

    Really like your site! I'm a ftm too. Had my lo at 40-so I guess I also had a geriatric pregnancy! lol

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  17. Happy Birthday! my little man turned 2 recently and this post so made me smile!

    Thanks for linking up with #magicmoments

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  18. Naww happy birthday! 2 is absolutely a fun age if you ignore all the tantrums etc! Loved this post!

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  19. Amen to everything on your list. It seems like she turned 2, our daughter has become aware of her independence and exerts every which way she can. Her clothing choices do crack me up however. And I dread the day when she realizes my threats are just empty. :)

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  20. Ah...the joys and the challenges of two! My boys actually didn't do the terrible twos. It was the terrible threes and thereafter. I guess they have a problem with punctuality like their mama. ;) Hang in there Mama.

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  21. Lol! This made me laugh! I love it!! You never have a dull moment with Claire around! Happy birthday!

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  22. Happy birthday to your little person!

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  23. I love how you set this post up! Such a fun, cute way to celebrate her milestones.

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  24. Haha, oh gosh. You are giving me oh, so much to look forward to. :)

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  25. Happy Birthday to your big girl! :)

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  26. Happy Birthday to your big girl, one to show her in her teenage years :) x

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  27. Great post, I can relate to lots of it with my 2 and a bit year old!

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  28. to be fair I would like to only have cake for breakfast!

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  29. Great post! happy birthday to your little girl, My boy will be two in July and he loves to draw everywhere too including on my new laptop! x

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  30. Meh. Sunrise, sunset. Yin and Yang. Even if they didn't do all that awful stuff we'd still find something about them that bothered us.

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  31. That's brilliant. I love the double edged sword. I can give you hope - it gets way better than this. But then you need all your wits about you!

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  32. Happy Birthday to your 2 year old. My daughter will turn 12 at the end of the month, and I remember her being as you describe so clearly!

    Kate x
    Kate at Home

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  33. it's really the terrific twos, right?!

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  34. Happy Birthday to your little girl...they grow so fast, too fast.

    My son will be four soon and at times I will look at him and still see that little, chunky toddler from so many years ago...then he'll roar, fart, and laugh...and the baby is gone, LOL

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  35. Happy birthday little girl - my daughter has just turned one and I can see all this in my future :) Brilliant post! #wotsofunee

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  36. Arr Happy Birthday to her :)

    Thanks for sharing with us at welcome to the weekend blog hop :)

    http://www.clairejustineoxox.com

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  37. happy happy birthday!!!! A whole two!

    Fantastic

    x

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  38. OH my goodness! It is like you wrote this about my (almost)2 year old! I feel the exact same way (He's 2 on the 30th)

    Found you through My Turn For Us & LOVE this post!

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  39. Brilliant! I remember this stage very well indeed....especially the running away at break neck speed with a mouthful of something tiny and very easily choked upon!

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  40. I wanted to take the time to say thanks for linking up on my Bloglovin Blog hop! Already following via Bloglovin and GFC.
    Added you to my G+ profile.

    Take care,
    Meg
    Happy Kids, Inc

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  41. Happy Birthday little girl! It is crazy how fast they turn into little people. Too fast if you ask me.

    Thank you for linking up to Raising Imperfection!
    Make sure to check back on Friday to see if you were featured.
    Leslie
    www.violetimperfection.com

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  42. Oh, my gosh, you've captured the "that's good/that's bad" of parenthood perfectly!! :)

    Thanks for joining us for Let's Get Social Sunday!

    Love, Joy
    Yesterfood

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  43. Fab post - you had me chortling away ;-)

    Thank you so much for linking up at the Friday Baby Shower - look forward to seeing you at this week's party, Alice x

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