What I love: The Toddler Version

     Nine temper tantrums today...for Dryden, six more for Noelle. I'm beginning to wonder if my Time Outs are an effective means of deterrence. I long to return to the days when it was acceptable to whomp your kids when they were bad. Then again, I am a child from the "Whomp Years" and they weren't really that great for behaviour modification; a good smack upside the head usually only served as great motivation for me to exact revenge. Today, after the final hissy fit- I realized that I will need a list, a reference if you will, to remind me periodically as to why I think (most days) that my toddlers are cute and deserving of my affection, not a satisfying smack

                                                 What I Love About My Toddlers

1- Their chubby feet look so cute in sandals.
2- Bath time. We've never had a grumpy "tubby time" Something about bubbles and communal bathing equals a good time had by all.
3- How hilarious they look when they first start walking- like they just dismounted from a horse, legs wide apart and wobbly. We call them "The Cowboys of St Polycarp Street."
4- Teaching them about body parts and laughing when they mess it up. Our son loves pointing out the body parts he knows on the dog, but he butchers it sometimes; Saku had a "peepee" where his nose should have been and "toes" on his forehead. And we should explain to him that Saku is a boy dog and does not have a "nunny."
5- How they insist on helping with the chores. I think its important to get them in the routine of doing chores at a young age. However, a full size broom is potentially lethal in the hands of a toddler, a child size dusting rag is easily fed to the dog, and loading the dishwasher is an hour long event.
6- How Noelle copies everything we do; every noise I make is imitated. She puts on Nick's hat and copies him too (at least that's what I assume she's doing because she keeps scratching her ass :) )
7- The amazing power of imagination. I love watching Dryden set up a tea party in front of the dog and chat away with him, giving him sips of tea and sharing marshmallows with him; lining up his stuffed animals on the couch and giving them all books to read; taking our laptop on the floor and typing his "homework" on there. Today he taught his baby doll how to blow kisses.
8- How proud they looked after we put away the highchairs and set them up in booster chairs at the table to eat with us.
9- Our first attempt at potty training. Dryden- buck naked- on the potty poking his "peepee" and giggling (typical male) and Noelle booting the potty across the tiny powder room and refusing to sit on it. Both experiences were equally funny.
10- It is a near frenzy every time that the school bus stops in front of our house. The excitement they experience is palpable. There is massive amounts of waving, and blowing kisses, and buh-byes!
11- We finally found a show they like- Elmo's World. Dryden sits in the corner of the couch with a pillow behind him and sits so quiet (and still!) I've never seen him sit in one spot for so long before...