Milestones

I've read three posts this morning about milestones, so I think in order to go with today's unspoken blogsphere theme, I will post about my children's milestones.  But first, I have a word or two to say about said topic.  Milestones are only cute in the first 2 years of life.  Beyond that there are very few cute ones left, and what ones are reached usually come with trial and tribulation.  Read below for examples.

   Little C has begun to throw wild 2 yo fits.  This includes the milestone of biting.  I've never had a biter before and I don't deal well with his pearly whites being directed toward my arm.  In the past I've given baking soda as a punishment.  But he doesn't seem too fazed.  

He's also begun to be interested in the toilet.  He psyched me out twice and actually pooped in it.  But now he's decided that it's better to poop in the diaper and then transfer it to the toilet.  ON HIS OWN.  He did this very thing yesterday.  You can imagine the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth from the resulting mess.

Lastly, he has reached the "I do it by myself" milestone.  Which includes to my utter annoyance getting in the car and in his seat on his own.  I'd be fine if he did it like an adult:  Open door.  Step in.  Sit down.  Buckle up.  But, he's 2.  He does it like a 2 yo:  Open door.  Refuse to get in.  Dance around.  Insist on getting in from the other door.  Get in the van.  Dance around out of mom's reach.  Examine small items on floor of van.  Dance around.  Ignore mom's pleas.  Start to get out of van.  Ignore counting warning from mom.  End up screaming and thrashing about when she grabs you to put you in the seat.  Arch back and scream bloody murder for 2 minutes while she wrestles you into the bucket.  Repeat at every stop.

   Miss A has hit the milestone of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  One minute she's sweet and obedient and the next she a raging ball of fury.  I have a feeling this behavior will be a permanent fixture in our lives until she's, oh, about 20.

   And Mr. M.  Well, he's reached the age of accountability.  Which comes with the awesome milestone of being baptized (I did say they weren't all bad).  But with accountability also comes understanding, and he's extending that accountability and understanding to his parents.  This puts a damper on me eating a cookie when I've just told him he can't.  Or like last night:

Me:  M, time to get off the computer.  You've been on long enough.

Mr. M:  But I'm not done playing my game.

Me:  I don't want you on the computer all day long.

Mr. M:  But you're on the computer all day long.  Why can't I be?

Me:  (lamely trying to find an adequate answer)  Well, I'm not playing games all day, I'm doing important things like checking my email (the adult equivalent to playing games all day, I think).

I'm grateful that I have this little bean cooking along (milestone of less than 100 days reached tomorrow!) so that I can enjoy the fun ones one last time.  And then I don't know what I'll do.  Maybe raise the white flag of defeat and retreat into my bedroom?

Here's two milestones I'm super duper excited about:  Starting 3rd Grade and starting 1st Grade in less than a week!  Whoohoo!