Time for a Random List: The Top 5 Highlights of a Day Spent with a Two-Year-Old

So, the nibble turned two on Saturday. It's hard to believe it's been two years since he stole our hearts that blustery - and blizzardy - December afternoon. I was having trouble deciding on the better post to commemorate the occasion: sentimental thoughts on his growing up or tips on how to deal with the terrible twos.

But I decided to take it in a different direction. The truth is, the nibble entered his terrible two phase soon after turning one. And while I do not dare suggest that we are done with tantrums, he seems to be learning how to calm himself down more quickly as of late.

The nibble and I spend most of our days together, since I'm fortunate enough to have a career that allows me to do the bulk of my work when he's napping, when he's still asleep in the morning or goes to bed at night, when he's at the neighbor's or with my parents, and when the hubby's home from work. And while some ... most ... some days I'm about ready to pull out my hair by the time the hubby gets home, there is definitely no shortage of hilarious and rewarding moments in our day.
Here, a few of the highlights:

5. The Phone
He doesn't text. Or blog. Or have friends on Facebook and contacts on LinkedIn. So what does the nibble do when he wants to connect with someone? He hands me the phone and says Mom-Mom or Pop-Pop or whoever else he wants to talk to. Sure, the conversations are still primarily one sided, but he listens intently, chimes in with a few words here and there, and then tries to tell me about the discussion afterwards. Remember when talking on the phone to friends and family was that common/exciting/rewarding for most people?

4. Costumes
Or Santa hats. I'm of the mindset that unless we're headed to church, if he wants to wear a costume or something else unconventional, then so be it. No reason to squash that creativity and imagination before he comes to feel that he has to dress in a certain way that is deemed acceptable. Plus, when folks at the mall are too busy staring at the kid Christmas shopping in a dog costume, they tend not to notice that my hair looks like a hot mess and how I'm trying to quickly move away from the rack of dresses on which he just smeared a handful of freeze-dried strawberries.

3. New Accomplishments
They say the first year is filled with so many milestones, and while I'll definitely never forget the moment he took his first solo steps, the tiny accomplishments I see every day are equally exciting. Perhaps it's because his sense of pride has matured and things like adding a new number to the "count" or being able to pour the pee from his potty into the toilet without spilling a drop are worth celebrating.

2. Hearing/Seeing Yourself
This one can be good or bad, but either way, it's pretty hilarious. The nibble really doesn't want to use a straw cup anymore. But regular cups can be such a mess that I cringe to give into his requests. And apparently, I accompany that cringe with a loud "careful," as I realized today when he beat me to the chase, yelling "wareful" just as the word started coming out of my mouth. Whether he's standing in front of the TV with his arms crossed and legs apart the exact same way my husband does or giving our bulldog a kiss or a toy to distract him from licking his hotspots, I can't help but smile when I watch.

1. Hugs
It doesn't matter if it's naptime, playtime or five minutes after I just put away his scooter as a punishment, the nibble always wants hugs and isn't afraid to ask for them. "Hugs? Hugs of course!" he yells. And well, if that doesn't make you want to spend your days with a two-year-old, I'm not sure that anything would!

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