Fits and Giggles...and Sushi

I think it's safe to say that I've been pretty lucky in the way of my child's attitude thus far. He's not been excessively whiney, rough-and-tumble, disobedient, or really, unhappy. He's always been a good-natured kid, right from the get go. He's had days here and there where naughtiness has occurred, but it's always passed, and he's reverted back to his laid back ways.

I've always considered this to be luck and nothing else. And luck, as we all know, sometimes runs out.

At 2 1/2, my child has finally, and surely, realized that he is in fact 2. And after enduring the effects of that discovery for a few weeks now, I think it's safe to say that a shift has occurred. And that we can anticipate its effects for a while to come. I'm talking AT-TI-TUDE, all over the place. Things that have always been routine and easy are now met with tantrums, evil giggling + running away, screaming fits, and belligerence. Teeth brushing, diaper changing, (heaven help me) fingernail clipping... It's as if I am slicing his actual fingers off, the reaction I get.

I look at a pack of diapers and see a stack of power struggles; a series of wrestling matches, and I groan inwardly. I'm ready to potty train just to avoid one kind of fight in favor of another.

I dread bedtime, knowing I will have to fight to brush the teeth, fight to change clothes, fight to change diaper, fight to get him into the crib. That's a lotta fight, folks. Particularly when all of those things very recently were easy breezy.

I know it happens, I don't think I'm exempt from the rigors of raising a toddler. But it's still exhausting sometimes.

On the up side, I've discovered a new way to get him to eat (his once-adventurous palate has been very stingy for many months now). He loves all things pancake, and so when I'm not trying to sneak in nutrition (flax seed and berries in the mix, for instance), I've started telling him that everything is pancakes. A veggie-filled quiche? Pancakes. Bam, instant scarf-fest.

The pinnacle was Saturday night, when Mike made sushi for some friends. J needed to eat, and I didn't feel like going through the routine of finding something else in the cupboards, so once he (predictably) started asking for pancakes I told him:

These are Japanese pancakes!

And he fell for it. He ate probably 7 California rolls, filled with seaweed, avocado, cucumber, crab meat... (confession? I won't even eat that)

It was pretty much awesome. Who says trickery is a bad parenting move? All the experts? Well I say, whatever works!

Other things he's been doing:

Trying to use various phrases, almost always out of context, such as over there, yesterday, just one time, after that.

Example: I want to see Porter yesterday after that. Just one time!

It's pretty great.

Also, he doesn't want to talk about the baby anymore. So we've cooled it with the "baby brother" talk. We've got time.

And lastly, whenever he hears a car honk its horn, he exclaims, "Are you KIDDING me?"

That one? Not so flattering. Sounds like mommy needs to control her road rage a little better.

(Conclusion: We love our growing, mimicking, sushi-eating, naughty little boy.)