TWO

Somewhere in the last few months I've completely lost track of time...I have a TWO year old! Isaac turned 2 on June 19th and he has been living up to the task ever since. I'm sure things could be much worse...I know I have heard many horror stories about the terrible two's. It is just a real challenge when you see your sweet little baby starting to become somewhat of a monster! The most maddening thing that he does (and has been doing for a while now) is he will ask for something (quite insistantly) and then when I give it to him, have a complete break down about it...like he never asked for it and how dare I give it to him! So I take it back...and he has another breakdown...like that was his and how dare I take it away from him!

For example...a conversation we have quite often...
Isaac: "milk mommy!! milk, milk, milk".
Me: "How do you ask mommy, Isaac?"
Isaac: "Milk please, mommy?"
Me: "Okay, would you like some milk?" (double checking because I am anticipating the breakdown that will happen when I actually give him the milk).
Isaac: "Okay, mommy..."
Me: "Here's your milk Isaac."
Isaac: "NO!!! NO MILK!!!" (While sometimes crying and often throwing himself to the floor)
Me: "Okay, I will put it away for later" (then taking the milk that he obviously didn't want)
Isaac: "MILK!!! MILK mommy!!! (again falling to the floor, even more dramatically...often accompanied by kicking and screaming).

This could go on for several minutes...I am sure it is really just a lack of being able to communicate exactly what he wants...but it is maddening none the less. Another difficult development is his newly found sense of selective hearing. He used to be pretty good about listening to what I would say, but now it is as if I am not even talking sometimes!! He has discovered that he does indeed have a choice in these matters...and he often chooses to exercise his own will. Current struggles also include hitting, not sharing, and just plain whining and crying for no reason.

So we have been trying the "time out" method for the past few months... I would say it is working okay...I probably still have some things to learn myself about using time outs to their maximum benefit, but at the very least it does redirect him during a tantrum and gives us a chance to "try again".

On to some good things...Isaac is such a smart little guy. He is talking so well and starting to speak in sentances and complete thoughts. He has the most amazing memory...this kid remembers so much of what he sees and hears. He is learning all kinds of songs and he loves to sing. He knows almost every song on the latest Tenth Avenue North album "Over and Underneath". There are a few of his books that he can "read" himself (not because he is actually reading the words...but he remembers what we have read to him). He is starting to be more creative, using his blocks to "build things" and showing some imagination in how he uses his toys. When he is sweet...he is SO sweet. He will often tell us how beautiful something is, or say that something is so sweet, and he is really good about saying "i love you". When we pray together at night, Mike or I will start and begin by thanking Jesus for all of our blessings...and he will immediately begin listing all the things he is thankful for...often things that he really experienced during that day...at this point we think it could be more of a stalling tactic so he doesn't have to go to bed (evident when he started thanking Jesus for the door, and the carpet etc...) None the less, it is still really sweet to hear him thank Jesus for just about EVERYTHING!

Despite the challenges, it is really exciting to see the beginnings of the person Isaac is going to become. I pray every day that above all, he will have a deep love for Jesus and for other people. I pray that we will be good examples of this, and raise him the way God has intended for him. We just love him to pieces!!