The Terrible Twos

Everybody's heard of this, right? Two-year-olds are supposed to be a mommy's worst nightmare.  So how come my 17-month-old has been throwing tantrums, whining, and screaming at the top of her lungs? It's been about two weeks, and I am ALREADY OVER IT. I thought that teaching Katie sign language would help with the inevitable frustration of being a toddler, but I guess being able to sign "flower" and "doggie" and "bath" just isn't enough.

When Katie woke up this morning, she gave me a huge smile and started bouncing in her crib.  Then, the second I picked her up, she said "Milk!" and when milk didn't Apparate right into her hand, she started to scream. She continued her caterwauling through the world's fastest diaper change, wailed piteously while I hastily dressed her, and screamed all the way down the stairs and to the refrigerator until - gulp gulp gulp - silence.  Whew.

A few hours later, I noticed a peculiar odor coming from my kitchen counter, and decided I'd better go dump the compost bowl into the bin outside. I knew Katie wouldn't be thrilled about my decision, but since she was playing in a well-baby-proofed section of the house, I took a chance.  That was when I discovered just how loudly one can hear Katie's screaming from outside!  The neighbors must think I'm boiling her in oil.

*sigh* Just my luck that my little one decided to start the Terrible Twos before she's developed the capacity to understand the concept of "time out."  ;)