Our Week, Our Crazy Week

Just when I tell you that I love two years old, I am taking it back. Oh my word, it's been a challenging week, ya'll.

Let me give you an example.

This was how I found Ada yesterday morning, when we were already running late for the library. Before I could get it all cleaned up, it made it's way all the way up to her hair. It quickly turned into a ponytail day for her.

She truly is such a mischievous child. She is always thinking up something to get into or jump off of. She jumps from one piece of furniture to another. She hides herself inside of wardrobes. She locks doors from the outside (leaving me unable to get into the master bathroom all day long). And she possesses a radar that goes off any time I turn my back for one second or forget to secure a cabinet door.

During the course of the day, after the lipstick incident, I found her squeezing out the entire contents of the shampoo bottle all over her hands and into the bath tub, and when I questioned her, she explained that she wanted bubbles.

Shortly after I had cleaned that up, she decided that Ernie needed to "use the potty," and thankfully, I rescued him at the last possible minute before he ended up in the toilet.

At another point in the day, I found her sitting in a chair, covering her arms and hands in desitin, and I have not one clue where the desitin came from.

Then today, as I was on the phone trying to cancel a membership to a Dr. Seuss book club (having to do with the online offers I have told you about), I realize that Ada is being awfully quiet. I find her in the kitchen, Cookie monster (diapered, by the way) sitting in her booster seat, a toy plate with toy fried chicken sitting in front of him, and Ada pouring so much salt onto the chicken, that I can hardly see the chicken for all of the white. I quickly snatch up the plate, still on the phone, and Ada begins to wail as if I have hurt her. Really, I have no idea what the lady on the phone thought. I quickly looked around to try and find a salt substitute, and I noticed what I thought was a childproof tylenol bottle. I quickly handed that to her, but soon realized that the bottle was not Ada proof. So once again I snatch the "salt" out of her hands, and the wailing begins again. Truly, she is such a drama queen.

But it's more than the mischief even. The disobedience has increased greatly this week, resulting in many time outs, pinches, and even spankings, though none seem to matter much to her. And her new favorite word is mine. Everything is proceeded with the word mine. It drives me nuts.

But just when I think I might pull my hair out or burst into tears of frustration, she does something so stinking cute that I can hardly stand it.

Her favorite new game to play is to pretend she is going to Mae-Mae's house, which is actually whatever closet happens to be nearest to us at the moment. She tells me bye, we kiss and hug even, and she goes into the closet and shuts the door. Five seconds later, she comes out of the closet and begins to tell me in detail how she saw Mae-Mae and cow and horsie. She does this over and over throughout the day.

She also has picked up on the phrase, "awww, man." She says it both for good things and disappointing things. For example, she spots a new sheet of stickers, "awww, man" in a very happy voice. Or she is unable to get her baby doll to do what she wants it to do, and she again says "awww, man" in a frustrated voice. The best part, though, she actually says, "awww, mam." It really cracks us up because she says it all the time, "awww, mam." She has to say yes mam to me when we are having "serious" talks, so I guess the mam just transferred.

She really is so funny and so full of personality, but that huge personality can be quite challenging. I am trying to teach her that obedience to me makes Jesus happy, but I am not even sure she really understands what obedience is. I just want parenting to be so simple, but it, of course, is not.

I sure am thankful for that little stinker, though.