The terrific (yet sometimes terrible) twos

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...."  That quote in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities somehow describes our life with a two year old.  I've been told by a lot of people that they really like this age, and by others that they really hate this age.  I've come to realize that it can be both...many times it happens in the same day, the same hour, and even at the same time.

Now that Tabitha is mobile, can effectively communicate with us, and has her own opinions, she's always testing us it seems like.  I suppose that what you have to do in order to learn your boundaries.  She loves to try different things and is into exploring new items...even if they are forbidden by her parents.  She'll give us a sideways look with a mischevious grin and do something that she knows that she shouldn't be doing.  At the same time though it's fun to watch her learn, and to tell us her opinions.  There aren't many days that go by that our 30 minute drive home from work/daycare isn't filled with learning about her day at school, singing, or telling me about her friends.  I absolutely love this!  But then we can get home and she'll immediately pitch a fit because I won't let her do something (more than likely because it isn't safe--let me note for the record I am not overprotective though).

A funny story from today....James and I had had it with trying to get her to lay down and take a nap.  So, we just decided that we would do our own thing and let her do hers.  Instead of joining in with whatever she was doing, we just let her do it and ignored her...hoping she would get tired or bored and go and take a nap.  So, I was in our office going through old files while sitting on the floor.  Tabs came in and started trying to get me to look at her.  Pretty soon she left and it was quite, and thinking to myself that she had gone to take a nap, I looked up to find her marching back to where I was at.  I quickly avoided eye contact and went back to what I was doing.  Soon I realized she's right over my shoulder and before I knew it she was sticking one of her old pacifiers into my mouth.  Trying hard not to laugh at what she was doing I quickly removed myself and went elsewhere.  While it was so funny to see her trying to get my attenion, I was frustrated with her because she should have been taking a nap.  I am sure it will be these moments that I will miss when she gets older.

If you are wondering, she did finally decide to take a nap.  Not in her bed, but next to Fred.