A new ruler emerges

We knew it would happen. He's the baby. You know...the baby.

As his personality continues to emerge and as he morphs into a 2 year old, Michael is beginning to show his independence and preferences and attitude. Which isn't entirely endearing...if you know what I mean. He is very rough and physical, the hallmark of a youngest boy, I think. He is increasingly manic bi-polar-ish...liking something one second and then hating it the next. He is clearly defiant and needs boundaries.

So it has begun. And at this stage with each of my other children, I have started being tougher. Time-outs. Timers. Stern talking. Consequences for actions. No more leniency for baby-ness. You want to act like a kid? Momma's gonna treat you like a kid.

Except it is different this time. Michael has a team of defenders...he's hired his own firm to oppose me in Mommy Court. It is the legal team of AndrewandLily.

He has them each wrapped around his chubby little fingers. It is adorable. And I am so going to laugh when they complain someday that he is a bratty, entitled, all-knowing, full-of-excuses teenager...because they will have helped create that monster. ;)



Some examples? They were all three playing with Play-doh one morning, and Michael continually threw it. At the floor, the dog, Lily...just throwing it. I warned him to stop throwing or he would go to timeout. Having never been to timeout, this was an empty threat. So he threw another piece. I scooped him up and set him on the step, telling him sternly, "You are in timeout for throwing Play-doh. You don't move until I come and get you." I walked away, and was AMAZED that he actually stayed on the step. Of course, he's had a lot of modeling...ahem...Lily...ahem. Anyway, as I let him sit for his one minute (geez, it was his first timeout...I was going easy on him), all I heard was grief from his siblings. Andrew traditionally can't stand his crying, so he was instantly and expectedly on my case, "Mom? He's just a baby." But what surprised me was Lily! She was piping in too, protesting her baby brother's incarceration. Lordy.

Andrew is by far the worst, though. He is such a softy...he lets Mikey get away with MURDER. They were in a fever bath together this weekend. Andrew was being a goofball and making Michael giggle that fantastic belly laugh. At one point Michael was hording all 4 cups that we have in the tub. I heard Andrew ask for one and Michael repeated said, "No. MINE. MINE." I opened the door to the tub (I sit on the toilet seat with the glass doors closed on the tub so they can feel like I'm not hovering...even though I am...). I told Michael that he needed to share, and I started to pry one of the cups from his hands. Andrew quickly said, "It's okay Mom. I don't really need a cup. He's just so cute...don't make him mad."

Michael's love for his brother is mutual, however. In that same bath, he was throwing cups of water onto Andrew. If ever some splashed on Andrew's face, Michael would stop and ask, "O-tay? O-tay?" Once Andrew confirmed that he was indeed okay, Michael would resume splashing. Repeat. Over and over. When I was helping Andrew rinse the soap out of his hair, Michael was very concerned...patting Andrew's leg and saying over and over, "O-tay? O-tay?"

Lily is less enamored, but still showing a protective, loving big sister instinct. Occasionally. They usually fight like cats and dogs, but if I ever try to discipline Michael...even if it is in her defense, Lily protests. She will say, "But he's only TWO!" He was trying to climb up right after her on the outside playset and she was screaming. I started to walk over saying, "Michael, you need to wait for your turn." Lily scrambled up and said, "It's okay, Mom. He's okay. He's just TWO."

Ugh. I hate disciplining two year olds...dealing with two year olds...trying to understand two year olds. And now I've got to explain my actions to two of the toughest defenders at the same time. But it's making it easier. Because just as I am feeling the anger rise up at Mike's irrational behavior, my two older kids remind me that he is loved and lovable and precious and...afterall...he IS only TWO. ;)