How can a child be so adorable one second, and an absolute terror the next? For starters, they don’t understand when a joke goes too far. We’ve met people like this: chuckle over an anecdote about Aunt Marge, then they’re fueled up and saying, “If you think that’s funny..” and the humor is sucked out of the room leaving everyone to check their watch and inch towards the door. Toddler Harbat does the same thing, assuming that a tickle is funny, so aggressive tickling with fingernails peeling back your scalp should be EVEN FUNNIER!
Earlier this week I was going to pick her up from daycare, smiling as I imagined hugging her and hearing about her day. When she saw me I got a “meh…” and she returned to her toys. I finally carried her out of the classroom and had to drag her away from the playground. Getting her buckled into her carseat, well…have you ever tried to stuff a suspicious cat into a carrier? Limbs are spread out to maximum extension, extremities hook onto any available surface, back is arched, torso writhes like an out-of-control fire hose. Yeah, that was great. After we got home and she had dinner, it was all snuggles and “you’re my friend” and book reading. I was back in love.
Why do they do this to us? Do they think we need lows and highs in the same minute? TH is getting very crafty, and knows how to manipulate me with her charming smile. Here she is after getting a cup of herbal tea with honey. See, I’m a good girl!
X-Treem Smile
Writer, architect, father, husband.
Why???–because she’s two. I guess we know who’s in charge. Ask your sister how that worked.