Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Joys of Toddlerhood

Rachel has apparently decided to make a splash with her second year. Really explore all of those stereotypes of two-year-olds. She now has her tantrum routine down pat. It's kind of funny because it's the same every single time. First she expresses her general displeasure with an emphatic "hoh no!" This comes simultaneously with her pouty face and a downward glance. Then she collapses to the floor on her knees and bends forward so that her face is covered by her hair. Next she mashes her face into whatever flooring happens to be there before she flips over to her back and starts wailing. Like clockwork.

Luckily these episodes don't last very long but I have noticed that they have been getting louder. She also becomes hysterical much more easily than she used to. She woke up from a nap the other day with the back of her earring in her hand and the screaming that came from her crib had me concerned that one of the cats had gotten into her room and was making an attempt on her life. Food dropped onto clothing - or, god forbid, her actual skin - will also cause immediate shrieking to commence.

This is a little bit new for us because Anna was not much of a tantrum thrower. While she definitely had her moments with the yelling and thrashing, she preferred to whine us to death. I know for a fact that this is payback from my own childhood because when I was a toddler my mother's best friend called me Tammy Whinette. And not because I could sing. No, Anna likes to communicate her negative emotions by screaming at a pitch that could literally peel paint off of walls.

What is really funny is when Rachel is crying about something and Anna tells me "I want Rachel to be quiet." I am not entirely sure if this is because she wants her little sister to be happy or if she's just tired of the noise. But what I want to say in reply is, WELCOME TO MY WORLD.

In all seriousness Anna does do things to try to cheer Rachel up when she is upset and that is the sweetest thing ever. Whether it's giving her a toy she wanted or sharing her snack it never fails to move me when Anna comes over with hugs and a treat and tells Rachel that everything is ok. Makes me think I must be doing something right in between pulling out handfuls of my hair and stuffing cotton into my ears.

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