Hi, my name is Jen. I am a mom of a toddler. I am no longer in denial that those nice three months or so of regular naps, easy bedtime routines, and a willingness to use the potty are over. I greet a new season of Ainsley.
I will try not to overreact when she puts a bag of buttons in her mouth, spits them out and says, "you like it, momma?" I will not give in or laugh when she yells, stomps and demands, "momma, you rock right now. I don't want to s(l)eep. Ainsley is mad. Momma s(l)eep wit(h) me. P(l)eeeeeeeeaseeeeeuh." I will not show her fear when she goes into her defiant-language-and-behavior-mode, throwing food, running around, beating up her dolls and yelling, "Doo-Doo-Wah!" Thank goodness she can express and find her voice!
I will relish these harder moments as well as the stupendous ones. Beaming when she tells me, "you are my friend mom. You are generous, and you are spectacular. What does spectacular mean, momma?" When she uses her hands to stress a point and tells me that daddy will be back on Tuesday and Thursday and that she wants to go to music class with him in September. That she misses daddy because he is in "Ger-MAH-Neee" and his car is at the airport and we have to use another one. When she relays to neighbors that "mommy got a bee sting on foot and I kiss it." When she jumps up and down, feigns hyper ventilation and says, "I'm excited. I have a big girl bed!"
I will remain grateful to the family and friends who are able and willing at different times and stages in their lives to be present and contribute to our happiness and stability. I will grieve that family members go through rough patches and cannot be present and cannot always contribute, and I will be proud of our self-sufficiency.
3 comments:
Ainsley has grown so much even in the few months (has it been that long?) since I've seen her. Are you two doing musikgarten again this fall? We're going Wednesdays at 10:30. We'll see how it goes with a newborn in tow! I hope we can get together more this fall. We miss seeing you two. It sounds like life is an adventure. Ainsley is just entering this new phase of "grown up" toddlerdom. I can use all the help/advice I can get!
The pictures are precious. Ah, the trials of mommy-hood. You are doing a phenomenal job with a phenomenal little girl. I'm so proud of you and we're all so blessed.
GREAT post! The toddler years are so difficult, yet so rewarding and so very, very fleeting. *sigh*
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