Mommy's in the Doghouse

Oh, sweet, docile child of mine, where did you go? Are you hiding? Were you switched at daycare? Surely the terrible twos CANNOT be this bad...can they?

We'll start with, mommy got a new job and the commute for mommy has tripled. This means no more lazing about in bed until 8:30 am (7:45 am for Toddler in Chief), no more leisurely mornings as mommy putters around the house and even less time to watch Curious George. Kaitlyn is much like her momma in that she likes her sleep. She doesn't like to go to bed on time, but she likes to make up for the deficit on the backend. With mommy's new job, EVERYBODY has to get up earlier, dogs, babies and mommy alike. This has created some epic meltdowns in the house. Mommy's emotions go from smug patience to exasperation to just being emotionally drained. Toddler in chief's emotions range from "I love you mommy, mwah mwah" to "I don't wanna (insert action, article of clothing, food item, really anything here)!" to meltdown of atomic proportions. Monday, my first day of work, witnessed such a meltdown. I knew the cause, worked on the solution and we sailed along fairly well until today.

Kaitlyn doesn't fully know how to express what has upset her. Instead of "Daddy won't let me have another piece of cake", when daddy takes away the desired item, it becomes "MOMMY! Daddy HIT me!" As the other parent is witness to the non-hitting, the statement is generally shrugged off. This morning, my crime in the TIC justice system, was to force her to get dressed. An earlier than normal wake up time threw TIC off her game just enough that we went from Meltdown City to Meltdown Nation.

This is the hilarity that ensued:
I finally got Kaitlyn's last shoe on. To lighten the mood of "I don't wanna", I tickled her. This was BEYOND unacceptable as she dove into the cushions to get away from me. TIC came up for air, crying hysterically. She spies the nearest dog and says "Tinooooooooooooo....mommy hit me!" 'Tino, who is just trying to get comfy for his morning nap, is completely disinterested in the entire exchange. Kaitlyn, seeking any kind of comfort she can get, wraps her arms around 'Tino and hugs him. By this time, 'Tino is thoroughly confused. He's not really sure what he's supposed to do in this situation. Mommy has dissolved into giggles as this is really the cutest thing she's ever seen. I try to give Kaitlyn the comforting hug she seeks and am shunned. She goes back to clutching 'Tino for dear life, which in turn, causes him to shift away from the drama (I would have too, quite frankly). Finally, I'm able to give her a hug and we make our way out the door with more tears and more hysterics.

All this before 8 am! I'm amazed I was able to stay awake after all that! Talk about an energy zap! Mothers of children under 2 let this be your public service announcement. When you look at your angelic child and think NO WAY will the terrible twos be terrible for you, think again. We're living proof! But, we have lived to see yet another day, and all in all, I consider that a HUGE success.