Just Keep Swimming

Ya'll already know that life with a toddler is kind of like swimming in the ocean, right? Up, down, up, down, up............ down.

Up: Lily Ruth left the house voluntarily this a.m. Normally, there is a large discussion of what I would like to accomplish followed by 'We're leaving in 5 minutes' 'NO!' 'We're leaving in 2 minutes' 'NOOOOOO! NO, Mama!' 'Time to go' 'No go go! No go go! No 'Uth car!!!' Today, all I had to do was announce that we were meeting Henry and Baby Lara (and their Mama) for coffee and juice. She pulled me out the door. They've been out of town for three whole weeks, and she has asked about them every. single. day.

Down: While visiting Nanny's office, a candy opportunity presented itself. One of Nanny's coworkers had a candy dish on her desk. In hopes of enticing my angel into speaking to Nanny's friends, I offered her a green lollipop. She snatched it from me, and glowered at everyone from under her furrowed brow in a feral-Nell-child manner without even a syllable of appreciation. On the way to the car, she began to happily crow 'CANDY!'

Treading Water: She sucked on that candy from Nanny's office to the zoo. Then through the zoo. She even declined to leave her stroller at any point preferring instead to kick back with Lucy and let sticky, green spit course down her chin and arm.

Up: Leaving the zoo, she babbled happily about the sucker, and eventually yelled 'YAY! I got CANDY!' I'm counting that as a 4-word sentence.

Down: She woke up from her nap a cranky, whiny mess... sugar crash, anyone? She even screeched at her Daddy every time he so much as touched her for about half an hour.

Up: Then there was a hilarious round of Walk that involved enlisting Daddy's help in putting a leash on a stuffed kitty, tying a string leash on a tiny wind-up dinosaur toy, depositing a stuffed bear in a basket, and dragging the whole kit'n'kaboodle up and down the length of the house.

Down: Tonight she began screeching as though she was on fire any time something went wrong. My ears hurt. Repeated admonitions to use her words instead of crying or screaming so that Mama and Daddy can help her fell onto deaf ears.

Up: During playtime in her room, she shut us all in together, looked at me and proudly said 'I closed the door!' That makes TWO 4-word sentences in one day, folks!!!

- And all of that was just today!!!!! Let's end on the 'up' and forget that it took over an hour for her to fall asleep, shall we?