My daughters are 2 1/2 yo. They are delightful and happy and very busy. Lately I have been frustrated with Greta, though. She frequently pulls food and milk out of the refrigerator. She pours herself milk and spills quite a bit of it on the floor. She draws on her body (which I don't mind). But also on the furniture. She pulls things out and makes huge messes. These are things I expect from a 2yo. But it tries my patience when it happens all day long every day. I was watching her sleep the other night. She was so peaceful. It was one of those moments when I felt huge amounts of love gushing out of me. I realized part of the reason she has been pushing me away and screaming at me and fighting me lately is because I have been so frustrated with her. I tell her no and I get annoyed. She reflects that back to me. I resolved to do my best to respond to her with patience and love.
Today Greta had my lipstick. She was putting it on herself. Then she started rubbing it on the carpet. I wanted to get it from her. So I offered to get out the markers so she could draw on herself. I got the markers. I sat down with her and offered to help. I drew a flower around her belly button. I drew a stem out from the flower and down her leg. Carmen got into it too. She drew on herself and asked me to add some flowers. Then Greta pulled away into the other room. She didn't really want me to draw on her. She kept coming back and flirting a little. We turned it into a game.
Later Carmen had some spices. She was smelling them and putting some on the counter. She had a capful of coriander. She wanted to sprinkle it on my head. My automatic answer would normally be, "no, thankyou." But today I thought, why not? I let her sprinkle it on my head. Now I'm scented like coriander. I asked Ian to smell my head. He smelled it twice. I told him is was coriander. He said Tom's of Maine uses coriander in their deodorant. So there you have it. I enjoyed some time with my daughter and discovered a new exotic scent just by not saying no.
This seems to be a lesson I have to learn over and over again.
Today Greta had my lipstick. She was putting it on herself. Then she started rubbing it on the carpet. I wanted to get it from her. So I offered to get out the markers so she could draw on herself. I got the markers. I sat down with her and offered to help. I drew a flower around her belly button. I drew a stem out from the flower and down her leg. Carmen got into it too. She drew on herself and asked me to add some flowers. Then Greta pulled away into the other room. She didn't really want me to draw on her. She kept coming back and flirting a little. We turned it into a game.
Later Carmen had some spices. She was smelling them and putting some on the counter. She had a capful of coriander. She wanted to sprinkle it on my head. My automatic answer would normally be, "no, thankyou." But today I thought, why not? I let her sprinkle it on my head. Now I'm scented like coriander. I asked Ian to smell my head. He smelled it twice. I told him is was coriander. He said Tom's of Maine uses coriander in their deodorant. So there you have it. I enjoyed some time with my daughter and discovered a new exotic scent just by not saying no.
This seems to be a lesson I have to learn over and over again.
