Right now Brennan is running as fast as he can in circles around Cosette. She seems intrigued so I'm restraining my inclination to interrupt. After experiencing multiple chaotic episodes over the past couple of weeks, I am finally admitting to myself that I won’t be escaping the dreaded "terrible 2's" with Brennan. When Alex was two I know he must have been mischievous but I honestly cannot remember...am I just blocking out the whole time period? Maybe...like how we block out the horrors of giving birth just months after having a baby. Although, I don't think I've quite yet blocked out this latest birth session.Anyway, I'll give a little synopsis of the antics he's employing. Last week I came downstairs from putting Coco down for a nap, and all I see is oil all over my hardwood floor in the kitchen. I look up and see Brennan holding an empty bottle upside down and shaking it to get the final drops to come out. When I ask him what he is doing, he replies "sticky mud puddle," and I vaguely recall Dora or Diego having to cross the sticky mud in a recent episode on Noggin. The same day he ran into the bathroom and "washed" his hands in the toilet splashing toilet water all over the walls and again, hardwood floor (now I'm thinking not such a great idea even if it does look superb!). As if he sensed that I wanted to clean even more that day, he carefully constructed a tower of Coco's glass baby food jars on his black table that he pulled into the middle of the hardwood floor. He then proceeded to bat at the tower. Thankfully he avoided any breakage! Still, I had to clean up 30 jars and reorganize them into fruit and veggie sections. Since that memorable day, he's written on the walls, constantly annoyed Cosette, and violated several pantry rules. His favorite act is of the showing independence variety...specifically titled "I'll show mama how I can pour all of Coco's baby cereal in a bowl all by myself." That's a fun one to clean up...as anyone with infants has surely experienced. When you get the cereal damp it adheres to the counter (floor in this case) with a stronger bond than super glue. I have to use my go-go-gadget nails (gotta love those prenatal’s) to scrap up each little speck. You are probably thinking "...is Michelle keeping an eye on him?" Yes...that's the crazy part. My mom witnessed the shear swiftness with which his curiosity can unravel tidiness this past week. He's like ‘Super Toddler’...faster than a speeding transformer being thrown across the room toward Cosette's head (thankfully he doesn't have the best hand eye coordination yet).
I have a plan! To stop a little of the insanity, I'm finally trying a new pantry safety system. The old system of placing all items on the top shelf was just not working anymore as Brennan realized he could just use a taller chair to reach the contents and climb if necessary. The new system is very high-tech...you know the one, where you remove the handle so you have to open the bi-fold doors from the top. Well...for now it has dumbfounded little Brennan...he's not happy in the slightest. Whew!!! However, I went to open it today and Alex informed me that he could open it himself. At this declaration I thought...yikes he's already figured out that if you can open it from the top you must also be able to open it from the bottom. Nope...he ran over to our utensil drawer...retrieved a chopstick...shoved it in the hole from the confiscated handle...and slowly pulled the door until it opened. Oh well...I guess I've got a few years before Brennan gets that creative. Alex loves the fact that we took the knob off the pantry, and constantly taunts Brennan with "you better get out of this bathroom (insert room of choice) or mama will take the handle off this door too!"The two's are a fun age...at least most trouble eventually leads to laughter. I should have realized I was going to experience a different two year old mentality when Brennan's 1st words were "mama", "dada", and then "What's that?" (pronounced wha-zat... not kidding in the slightest). If he weren't so damn cute he'd be more of a problem I'm thinking.
This reminds me...I'm reading a great book (for the second time). It's "How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk"...it didn't quite take the first time. The authors Elaine Mazlish and Adele Faber also have another great book out "Siblings without Rivalry" that I refer to quite often.
Still, after all the parenting books are read and re-read, no amount of research really prepares me for the days when Brennan insists on wearing just one sock or Alex won't leave the house unless he's wearing his batman costume with cape. To think, I have to go through this again with Cosette. I find myself wondering if the female version of the terrible two's will be less violent...humm. Even on days when my patience is long gone, I realize the absurdities of their demands and I just laugh. What else can you do...that, and write about them in your blog of course.
