The Small Boy misses his sisters when they are at school. He asks me every few minutes “We going to get get the girls now??”. He doesn’t want to do anything during the day, though he will be swayed for a little while by an activity or two.
Every little thing brings him to tears.
No you can’t eat the whole packet of dried apricots – tears
Please sit on your chair while you eat – tears
Daddy is sleeping/at work/out/busy – tears
Draw on the paper – tears
Are you finished playing/eating/doing? – tears
Please hold my hand while we cross the road – tears
Wait one second – tears
Get in the car – tears
Get out of the car – tears
When it’s finally time to go and get the girls, he doesn’t want to go. He doesn’t want to get out of the car. He doesn’t want to walk with me to the prep courtyard and he doesn’t want to wait for the bell to ring.
He wants to play with the girls when they get home, but he doesn’t want to play by their rules. They yell at him, he bursts into inconsolable tears.
So many tears.
Angry tears.
Sad, broken hearted tears.
Lonely tears.
Frustrated, “it’s not fair” tears.
On the upside there are occasional moments of pure joy.
His sense of humour is bizarre but spot on.
“Monkey says giddy-up giddy-up” – “A monkey says giddy-up???” – “Yes when he’s riding a horse!”.
He sings constantly.
“Widia oh widia oh have you met Widia? Widia the tatooooed lady”
“Old Mc Donald had a farm – e-oh-e-oh-aaaaaaaaaah”
He says he loves me like he’s had one too many beers…
“I wuuuuuuv you mama…. I wuv you soooooooooo much!”
He’s putting himself to sleep almost every night – no need for someone to sit with him, no arm… he rolls over and says “I’m ok you, come back in a bit”…by the time I come back he is out like a light.
Oh the but the tears….
Some days the tears well out number the joys.
Most days the tears well out number the joys.
But the joys save me, save us.
It is normal, so I’m told. But it is so good to be reminded of that as I read Parenting Passageway’s post The Typical Ages of Disequilibrium…
“2 1/2 years – a peak age of disequilibrium typically, typically rigid and inflexible, wants everything done according to what they want, when they want it, domineering and demanding, violent emotions, no ability to choose between alternatives or make a choice and stick to it”
Oh yes we have that, all of that, in large doses.
He won’t be two and a half forever though.
Following the wise words of Motherhood Uncensored – soon two will be 12 and 12 will be 22 and he won’t be around to sing about tatooed ladies and tell me he ‘wuvs me soooooo much’….. and I try so hard to remember that.
