Ok toddlerhood, stop it. Now. I mean it...

So J left this morning for almost a week. It's going to be a rough one. Sure, he's left before, and we've been just fine, but Sam has become a bit of a challenge lately. He is determined to mess with anything I try and keep him from. And he thinks "No" is hilarious. And no matter how many times I physically remove him from whatever it is that I don't want him smashing or dragging or shaking, he goes right back. I try to be stern, you know, with my serious face. Doesn't work. The only thing that works is sitting directly in front of whatever it is, to block his way. Then he crumples into a red faced crying mess. Once we cuddle, or nurse and he's better, he goes right back at it.

Lord help me.

So I turn to Dr. Sears. Basically, what they say is "practice attachment parenting and kid will want to please you." Well, I think what I've been doing can be considered a form of attachment parenting (cosleeping ended pretty early, due to mama constantly being jabbed in the ribs), and my kid seems to think displeasing me is a game. Fun even. I know he's young, so I'm not worried that he's going to be a some delinquent or anything, I am just worried about my sanity.

I am frazzled. And impatient, and I dare say, ANNOYED.

Ok, bad mama, get a grip. See this is why I need this blog. If I posted this on the family blog, Grandma would be flying here tomorrow and I would be bombarded with stories about having 2 toddlers and a husband who was checked out and blah, blah, blah. And everything Sam does is cute and couldn't possibly be annoying and he's precious and special and. OK I already feel guilty and I just imagined my mother lecturing me.

Sam, I love you bud. LOVE YOU. Now, stop dragging furniture across the room. Please. PLEASE. Love you.