Being Two Years Old

Oh, to be two years old...It can sometimes be the hardest part of any one's life, or so it seems. Poor Abigail is entering her terrible twos. Though it has been trying, it hasn't been entirely terrible. But we are hoping that we are seeing the worst of it because we have had to play the part of the mean parents. This simply means we are not letting our two year old walk all over us which means time outs. And trust me, we don't dole them out for every little thing because we don't want her to be complacent with them. The time out this weekend went like this:

Me: "Abby time to clean up. Help me pick up the toys."
Abby: "No." As she runs to play with another toy.
Me: "Abigail, you can't play with another toy until you clean this up first".
Abby: "TV?" "Outside?"
Me: "No. Help me pick up the toys. Like this. Help Mommy please" As I show her what she needs to be doing.
Abby: "Play ball?"
Me: "No. Clean up. Do you need a time out?"
Abby: "No."
Me: "Then pick this up or you will have to go into time out. Last time I am asking."
Abby: Picks up her toys and throws them across the room.
Me: "THAT'S IT. TIME OUT."

Being two means that Abby likes to make big details out of the littlest things but in her toddler world, they are the most pressing matters in her life at that moment. Time outs are 2 minutes in length and she sits on her time out mat (a door mat by the garage door where I can still see her but don't interact with her). I usually sit at the kitchen table with my back to her so she knows I am there but I am not going to talk to her while she is in time out. Once time out is over, back to the toys to clean up. Which she did, thankfully, though I had time to carry out another time out if she was being exceedingly stubborn.

But some things are really trying for her and not time out type of things. Like yesterday she took off her shoes in the car. Not really what I wanted her to do but not necessarily a "bad" thing...until she starts crying because she wants her shoes back on and I can't quite do that while driving. She seriously cried most of the way to Sea World. TO SEA WORLD! It wasn't like I was taking her to the doctor for a shot.

Now there are good times like she loves to now play the "Night, night game". Josh and I were traveling to Tampa last weekend and I hear from the back seat:

Abby: "Mommy, night, night"
Me: "You want me to go night, night?"
Abby: "Yeah! Mommy, night, night"
Me: Put my head down, close my eyes and start snoring. I wasn't driving.
Abby: "Daddy, night, night"
Josh: Puts head down, eyes still on the road but starts snoring sounds.
Abby: "GOOD MORNING!"
Me and Josh: "GOOD MORNING!"
Abby: Just explodes in laughter and starts all over.

We are just rolling with these new games. Both the good games and the bad but it is a learning experience for all of us. She has to learn what is acceptable and what is not.

Now, where is my Valium????