Andy is 2. That should say it all, right? In just weeks, he has turned into a 2 year old toddler testing his limits. Do not get me wrong, he is sweet, compassionate, hilarious, super smart and a complete lover! We can all count on numerous hugs and kisses throughout the day, we can count on him to do a ton of funny stuff throughout the day, count on him saying the funniest things already in funny voices. We can count on him being a good boy, and doing exactly what you ask him to do, he is the first to say Please & Thank you, the first to ask you if you are okay when you get a boo-boo, the first to say bless you when he hears you sneeze.
And then there is the age appropriate part of him ~ I say age appropriate because all the books say all the things he is doing...all the things Chris did when he was 2 are totally normal. The 2 year old who says no, the 2 year old who does exactly what you told him not to do or say. The 2 year old who has learned to unlock and open the front door and run right for the street. The 2 year old who messes every room behind you as you just cleaned them. The 2 year old who now chooses what foods he likes or dislikes on any given day. The 2 year old who wants to be held & carried only at the times when you are busy cooking near a hot stove and does not want to be held when you need to hold him like at a crowded place.
So at the end of a long day of caring for a 2 year old (& 3 other children) and bedtime is still 30 or 45 minutes away and I am just ohhh sooo tired...and my 2 year old is really getting into everything..... you will hear me say "Andy, want to take a bath?". Sure he may have had a bath that morning, or if we had a super busy morning, that afternoon. But that bath was for cleaning...this bath will be to occupy a 2 year old. This bath will last the 30 or 45 minutes until bedtime! Am I a bad mother to use the bath as entertainment for my 2 year old? Nah...I am a tired and totally overworked mom of 4 kids...and that is my creative way of coping!
