Grumpy Old Toddler

Grumpy, grumpy, grumpy. Andrew's mood has changed greatly from the first couple of months. He was a happy-go-lucky guy who laughed and smiled all the time. Even when he'd fall, he'd get up laughing.

Now he cries at the least little provocation; red-faced crying most of the time. We say, “No”, or stop him from doing something or going somewhere, or Bethany takes something away from him, or the car is too hot getting in from a parking lot, or he wants to be picked up.

We take it to mean that he is in general not feeling well most all the time; be it cold/allergies that has lasted forever, teething pain that has lasted forever, or various wounds and bruises that are forever occurring.

Father's Day outing to the mall.

Speaking of wounds. Andrew is reckless, fearless and clueless. He is constantly running into things…full speed, falling off of things and tripping. So often that we hardly pay attention. A few weeks back he woke up with a scab running down his nose and onto his lip. It looked really bad. Had to think back and guess at which fall might have caused it. Made us quite self-conscious with him out in public. “What are you doing to that poor child?” I compared him to the Picture of Dorian Gray, he just kept looking worse. Getting a family portrait is going to be tricky.

On the other hand, Bethany’s mood has improved greatly. She’s now the “good child”…go figure. I attribute it to our having a better understanding of her, and she of us. She knows her boundaries more clearly now. She is still willing to cross them…just less frequently.

Bethany seems to at least partially understand most of what we say to her. Andrew understands more also. One night the little guy brought out one of Gayle’s shoes and she said, “Where’s mommy’s other shoe?” He ran to get it. And, I do mean ran. He ran maximum acceleration speed down the hall, into his room and into his table. No brakes. The shoe was on the table; that shoe was his goal; slowing down to prepare for a stop was, apparently, a low priority.

We have been looking at real estate listings. At the last meeting with our financial advisor, we mentioned having thought a little about moving. He asked us for an estimated sale price of our home. We contacted our realtor for that…and so opened a floodgate of e-mails from him with listings. It’s fun to look. Not feeling strongly about moving yet.

We are now on a regular Tuesday through Friday daycare schedule at KinderCare. Bethany seems to be really enjoying it. She comes home very animated and chatty. Gayle had been working well with transitioning to potty, but seeing the other kids in her class having potty time, has accelerated the process. Her teacher Miss Mary has been said to be quite skilled at getting kids to make the leap.

Andrew was struggling and being distant at first (like father, like son) and not eating well at school. Cried when dropped off each morning. Now his teacher, they call her Miss Heida, says that he has improved a lot; he is beginning to socialize and interact more. This week he smiled and waved goodbye in the morning for the first time. He does still come home very clingy, tired and fairly hungry. We are trying a short nap when he first gets home.

Both kids helped make a Father’s Day gift at school with their framed handprint and a poem. They got me a tie, for a special present. Not just any tie mind you, but a Purdue tie. And, while they were shopping, they each got a Purdue shirt for themselves. Go Boilers!

Usually the kids are still asleep when I head off to work, but one day this week Bethany woke up early and I said it was OK for her to join us in our bedroom while we both got ready. While I was putting on my socks, she went into my closet, got my dress shoes, brought them out and started untying the laces before handing them to me. Don’t know where she learned that. Their shoes all have Velcro closures.