Oh Nora...

We're in one of those "stages". Ughhh!

About a month ago I was commenting about how great Nora had been. The spankings she had received were VERY small, I had not had to redirect her very often, her fits had just about stopped. It was heaven.

That was a month ago.

Times sure have changed!

I am worn out by her. It seems like lately from the moment she wakes up it is a battle.

All. Day. Long.

If something does not go her way it is an immediate melt down.

Her meltdowns include:
-total lack of muscle control as she falls onto the ground, usually face first
-piercing scream accompanied by deep-voiced shouts (it's a gift)
-speaking in tongues
-occasional tossing of toy...but that has pretty much stopped because she has figured out that the punishment is a lot worse if she throws something
-when banished to her room to ride out the rest of her meltdown (out of my sight!) she will jump up from the floor, miraculously regaining muscle control, and sprint to her room screaming the entire way

Awesome.

These are the times of our lives.

But do you want to know my absolute favorite thing?

When it happens in public. That's the best!

Especially when I am holding Elyn and she is practically jumping out of my arms because she wants to walk, I am holding 1,200 shopping bags, trying to find my car keys, and praying that none of us get pneumonia because of the 26 degree weather.

It's amazing how quickly I can adjust everything I am holding to one arm and grab onto Nora with my free arm using my vice-like grip to drag her the remaining feet to our vehicle.

I'm a super-mom.

It's a vicious circle, the life of a two-year-old.

Although she is wearing me out, daily, I still find a reason to laugh everyday. This girl is funny and I am amazed at what she is learning/remembering/memorizing/understand.

Some things I want to remember about Nora:
-We have been listening to Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers Christmas CD in the car and everytime the song "I believe in Santa Claus" comes on she yells, "Yea, we found it again!" We "find" it every 9th song.
-When I ask her what she wants Santa to bring her she says, "presents". She's pretty specific.
-Although, yesterday, she came up to me and said she wanted Santa to bring her a Barbie. I was hoping I was going to have at least another year before she fell into the "Mattel mafia".
-We have been letting her watch the Christmas movies that are on T.V right now. Last week she got to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and last night we let her watch Olive the Other Reindeer. She is LOVING them! She is really into Christmas this year and everytime we see a tree or lights, she says, "Look mommy, it's Christmas!"
-She is really into time. I bet she asks me 100x a day, "What time is it?" If I don't look at my wrist to answer her (for instance, look at the clock on the stove or the clock in the car) she will say, No! What time is it!?!
-She knows that the red lights mean to stop and the green lights mean go. When we are waiting at a red light, she watches, barely blinking, until it turns green. When the light finally does change, she will say excitedly, "We did it! Let's go!"

She is pretty funny and I need to do a better job of writing things down that she says and does. Right when it happens.

Because heaven knows I'm too worn out by the end of the day, maintaining my sanity due to her tantrums, to remember the cute things she has done.