So now that I have been a parent for over four and half years I realize that there are things that you love and loathe about every "stage". I will confess that the baby stage wasn't my favourite. Although nothing beats a sleeping infant on your chest, I just couldn't wait until my kids could tell me why they were having an insatiable cry-fest. I can still remember rocking/bouncing/swinging my babies wishing they could tell me why they were up for the 38th time that night. Is it because you hated baby sing along group today? Is it because you detest being swaddled like a baby burrito? Is it because the elastic on your adorable little Robeez is cutting off the circulation in your chubby ankles? Is it because mommy smells like baby spit-up and puke? There are only a handful of situations I knew exactly why my baby were crying, most of the time it was a lucky guess. Looking back I only recorded happy moments, I can count on one hand the number photos I have of my babies expressing another other emotion than adorable, gleeful happiness which leads me to this misguided belief that my babies cried only 5 times in their infant year.
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Because mommy made me try creamed corn.
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| Because its butternut squash. |
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So to ensure that I preserve a more accurate memory of this toddler/preschooler stage, I started documenting both Joy, Sadness & Anger. I know people refer to this stage as the 'terrible two's' and my husband refers to our 2 and 4 year olds as 'the two-nami (
tsunami) and 'the four-nado'
(tornado). Pretty accurate description as with this age, I feel that everything is amplified....when they are happy, they are hysterically laughing, good-for-the-soul belly laughter that is contagious but when they are upset, they are like a natural disaster of wailing, failing bodies accompanied by a tsunami of tears. But the greatest thing with this age is that most of the time, the trigger for the 'twonami' or the 'fournado' are totally irrational, flat-out stupid reasons. I used to get so irriated with these tearful episodes but I realized that if I just stayed calm that they might learn to not make such a stinkin' deal over non-issues. It also makes me feel better to take pictures of them in such episodes and know that I could blog about it later. There are less pictures of Nallie because I realized quickly that taking a picture of her while she is in such emotional state causes the meltdown to go from just 'loud and annoying' to Defcon 5. So in no particular order, these are reasons why my child is crying.
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| Because I have the keys but can't reach the key hole. |
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| Because the small Mr. Potato Heads have no ear holes. |
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| Because I didn't get to paddle the laundry basket boat. |
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| Because a toothbrush is invading my mouth. |
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| Because I am not facing the same way as my brother. |
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| Because I can't reach the spoon. |
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| Because my banana bread breaks apart when I hold it. |
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| Because I wanted to wear my jammies all day. |
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| Because the balloon is bumpy. |
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| Because the cake keeps falling off my fork (and I refuse any help). |
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| Because Dad gave the empty Kleenex box to my sister and not me. |
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| Because I didn't open the front door. |
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| Because I can't print the letter Y. |
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| Because Mommy said no Cheetos for breakfast. |
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| Because mommy didn't let me bring a princess purse with me. |
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| Because I woke up and realized I was awake. |
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| Because they didn't have Paw Patrol shoes in my size. |
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| Because I wanted a 'big boy' bowl. |
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| Because I had to wait my turn to sweep the floor. |
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| Because Mommy held my hand down the stairs. |
And one of my favourites...
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| because we don't fit in the laundry basket together. |
I am documenting these moments in time not to make fun of and laugh at them (although it is hard not to laugh sometimes) but to remind myself that this amplified emotional disaster over trivial issues is just a stage and as with any stage, it is an abundant blessing to be parenting little ones and I will miss it tremendously when this stage is over. And just as trivial issues will cause my kids to dissolve into a tsunami of tears, really insignificant things will also bring them great joy and uncontrollable laughter. Yesterday, the kids invented 'belly tag' and they ran in circles trying to crash their belly buttons together and were laughing until they were hyperventilating. And the things that cause them to cry might be a really big deal to them at that moment in time. At least it's a lot easier as a parent to console my sobbing toddler that it is OK to drink from a pink cup and the water will taste the same as it does in the blue cup than a sobbing teenager with a broken heart. I am not ready for that yet, so please by all means just keep crying over not being able to wear your bathing suit to school.
