This post is for me. Because, while there are many things about the 2s with Ellie that I want to forget (and I'm sure I will), there are many more things I want to remember (and given how much I forget these day, I'll only remember if they're written down). I've mentioned to more than one person lately that I'd be just fine going to year 4 with this girl. I'm not going to say we're in the midst of terrible 2s. Because I really don't think we are. But there are some challenges with this one that I just don't remember with the other two when they were this age. And there are some days that wear me so far down that I don't even know what I'm doing or even how to do it. This morning was one of those. After a one-hour showdown at the breakfast table, Mason calls out, "Uuummm, Mom, Ellie just told you 'no.'" Yes. I know that. And you pointing that out just makes it worse! And if I knew what to do about it, I'd do it. Because most times I am at a loss with this one. So I just reminded him that she is two years old, and he is nine years. The consequences for his disobedience are different than those for Ellie's disobedience.
And that was followed a couple of hours later by me requiring her to throw all of her big girl panties away in the garbage. She loves to wear them. But she also loves to mess them up, and I am just so tired of daily washing yucky undies. It had become a game. There were certain panties she would pick out to wear on the days she was going to have a good potty day. And there were other pairs of panties that she would ask to wear on the days that she decided not to have a good potty day. Today was one of those. So now we're back to pull-ups all the time. I just don't even know if that was the right thing to do or not. I only know I just can not wash yucky undies anymore.
But there are some things about the 2s with this girl that totally melt my heart. About three weeks ago, she came stomping down the stairs and walked into the family room where I was folding laundry. She came over to me and in true dramatic fashion (think Scarlett O'Hara) exclaimed, "Mama, I jus' needs some lovin." So I scooped her up and held her for a few minutes. Yes, she still loves to be held. She'll take my hand sometimes and lead me over to the couch, point and say, "Lay down." And then she'll crawl on top of me and lay down, too. Ever since that day three weeks ago, she still every once in awhile tells me she needs some lovin.
Lately when I take her picture, she props that little leg up. She she is posing with some of our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.
And Nugget Flay. That's what she calls Chic-fil-A. And that's her favorite. She always asks to eat at Nugget Flay.
My little Nutcracker collection sits atop my console piano. Shortly after I set them out, Ellie walked through the music room and then came running out hollering, "Cookies, Mama!" That's what she's been calling nutcrackers.
I also have a tall wooden soldier who greets guests at our friends' entry. The first time she saw him sitting there, she came running inside and grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door yelling, "Cookie jar!" I have no idea where "jar" came from. But every time she sees a nutcracker or a soldier, she yells, "Cookie jar!" And she absolutely squeals with delight at all of the Christmas lights and blowups we see. It doesn't matter how many times we've seen the same ones. Her reaction is the same. I just can not even imagine what her reaction is going to be when we take her to Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens next week.
She's also quite the diva. She recently found a pair of bedroom slippers that no longer fit Hannah Kate. Of course, they don't quite fit Ellie either, but she wears them around the house all the time now.
Mason and Hannah Kate were out of school for Veteran's Day. It was on a Tuesday, and since I had Bible Study, they stayed with MawMaw that day. Ellie stayed, too. MawMaw took them to see a movie, Ellie included. There was a preview for the Paddington Bear movie that's coming out next month. Ellie started hollering, and MawMaw had to take her out of the theater for a few minutes. Obviously she did not like what she saw. That night at bedtime, she even prayed for the bear. I am not kidding.
So Seth and I found the movie trailer online and watched it. It shows the scene when Paddington is in the bathroom and doesn't quite know how to properly use a toothbrush. He sticks a toothbrush in each ear instead of brushing his teeth with it.
That's what upset Ellie so. For the next week, she prayed every since night for the bear and his ears. We finally explained to her that the bear was okay, and we showed her the movie trailer again. This time she got tickled. And she began to ask to watch the "Bear Movie" every. day. Everyday. As a matter of fact, she watches the movie trailer multiple times each day. But now she calls him Pad Bear instead of Bear Movie.
Needless to say, all of us can hardly wait to see Bear Movie!
And given her fascination with bears, I taught her all about bear hugs, too. So now when she asks for lovin, I give her a big ole bear hug. But the best thing is that she wraps her arms and her legs around me as tight as she can, and she doesn't want to let go!