Third Time's a Charm?

As I witnessed/endured/bore the brunt of another tirade of my darling 2-year-old Lucy, I told God, “How am I going to make it through another 2 year old’s search for her own voice… her independence? Lord, help me, help me, help me…”

As that thought passed through my mind, I began flashing back to moments of 3-ness and 4-ness. I shuddered. 2 is only the warm-up. Age 5 seems to offer a bit of relief from the continual need and struggle with the developing mastery of words and concepts and communication. BUT we just started biting into the age of two, so we are just beginning. Not to mention potty training. Ugh.

Ya ever hear the quote, “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine.” She’s mastered that school of thought as well. Ugh.

I can’t express the love I have for that little girl, but neither can I express the exasperation. I am trying to focus positively in order to overlook the difficulty in this age of development, but…

Some people insist that one cannot label the age… “terrible two’s”… “fearsome fours”… I am not seeking a label, just perspective. Call a duck a duck… call and angry duck an angry duck… At least I know what I am dealing with. I have another very strong-willed, dynamic, verbal, boisterous, and creative child. These are all good things, but channeled through a person with only 2 years of livin’ behind her – heaven help her mother… and anyone at the grocery store who hears her warrior cry as she expresses her displeasure when her free cookie hits the floor and breaks in two. For some reason, in the mind of a two-year-old, one cookie in two parts might as well be the same as poison… or green veggies.

Ugh.