My 21 month old, week 3

Don’t you love those vague little emails you get once a week describing your child’s development?  Baby Center says that my daughter is a revved up ball of energy with the ability to keep going & going.  Yes, well partner that with the ability to open the fridge, climb the pantry shelves, & help herself to my checkbook and you’ve got one precocious toddler. 

Opening the fridge & sifting through it’s contents has become a new passion for Miss ’Cakes.  Chocolate syrup, sticks of butter, containers of salsa — all good things.  She’ll ask for juice and then want to put chocolate syrup in it.  When you finally convince her that it’s yucky, she opts to open the fridge again and this time carry the soy milk to the table.  Then she’ll request a “sssnack” and you’ll once again spend ten minutes convincing her that “butter is a topping, not a food group.”  She’ll settle for an apple but then go to the fridge and want jelly on it.  When you tell her that jelly is for toast, she’ll run to the bread drawer…  you get the idea, right? 

THIS IS MY LIFE. 

EVERY DAY.

Yes, she’s my independent ball of revved up energy.   

Her level of determination is unmatched.  It doesn’t matter how many times you say no, threaten a time-out, or mention that she can get hurt — if she WANTS to do it, good luck stopping her.  For example — see this lovely little doll baby changing table with built in high chairs?  It’s so cute, huh?  Did you know that if you knock out the yellow part that it makes a great pommel horse? 

This toy is now responsible for three near-concussions & multiple tears.  The tears, however, are a direct result of being absolutely pi$$ed off that her mother (how dare she!) took away the toy until someone small can “play with it the right way.”  Then when I say terrible things like that I feel like I’m crushing her little spirit.  But as her mother, it’s also my responsibility to see that she doesn’t crush her little skull in the process of discovery. 

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Today we came home from errand running and Cakes sat at the table finishing her Cheerio snack.  Then she decided that she’d like to help herself to some silverware so she pulled open the drawer and lifted a large serving spoon out.  This spoon is the size of her palm, but she felt it suitable for devouring the little bits of cereal.  When she tired of eating those, she dumped them onto the floor and proceeded to the refrigerator for a proper raid.  She pulled out leftovers from last night and then moved on to two sticks of butter.  Her request for noodles was granted, but the sticks of butter would need to be returned.  Determined, she dropped one stick and then tucked the other stick under her arm as if to run down field to escape an opponent.  Only problem is, she never closed the silverware drawer. 

I don’t know if she blamed me or the butter, but somehow I think she’ll still love us both forever.