Flip It Back--Wait, Let It Be!

I'm, for the most part, loving Josiah at this age. We are able to hold brief conversations, he understands (and sometimes follows) simple directions, he will let me know what he wants to eat and drink, he notifies me when he needs to be changed ("change, Mama, I have poo-poo."), where he wants to go ("go somewhere, go to HEB/Walmart/Mall"), and he lets me know when Laney's spit up ("Laney spit up, Mama. Need rag.").

While there are definite things that I LOVE about this age, there are definitely things I wish didn't come along with it. As Josiah approached 2 years old, I started noticing some slight changes in his behavior....but it wasn't until last Wednesday (his actual 2 year birthday) that it seemed like a flip was switched. He suddenly refuses to take an afternoon nap (although I've started enforcing "quiet time" and generally he will fall asleep anyway), eat a decent meal (something other than grapes and Goldfish), and constantly tests boundaries. "No" has become a permanant word in his vocabulary and "I don't want to" has become a popularly used phrase. This new found desire for independence has me wanting to pull my hair out most days of the week. I do know, however, that the boundary testing and vocalizing his "not wanting to" do certain things just comes with the territory of learning about the world (and our family rules)....I just wish it wasn't in the middle of the Mall/Walmart/grocery store/library, etc. It's definitely at these times when I want to flip the switch back.

But to speak to the positive of this switch flipping....Josiah will (most days) follow simple instruction/commands with a smile and say "yes, sir" and "thank you for listening" (so that I'll say, "Josiah, thank you for listening"). Just about anytime he asks for something: juice, blankie, outside, eat; he'll follow it with "please". The other night we watched Michael Phelps clench history by winning his 8th Gold Medal of the 2008 Olympics. I responded outloud, "He's just awesome". And Josiah repeated, "Mama, he's awesome." How neat is that that he understands what "awesome" means!? And he's also really starting to think things through....if I ask him what he wants to eat/drink, he'll say, "I want....I want.....I want....milk". It just amazes me and makes me smile just thinking about all that he has learned already in his short little life.

God definitely gifted/loaned me my children to help me work on my patience (or lack there of). I'm constantly asking "is Josiah doing X,Y, Z because he's 2 or is he being flat out defiant?" And to be honest, I have very little tolerance of either answer. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a "work in progress". I'm reminded of shirt that my little sister used to have, "Be patient with me, God isn't finished with me yet". :-)

If I'll just keep my focus on the wonderful things that Josiah is doing instead of how he's driving me crazy, this year will be a lot of fun.

And really, how can I stay mad/crazed when I have such a sweet face to wake to EVERY morning?

(He put the hats on all by himself....and then I asked him to go get the camera)