One of those days

I love my daughter, but there are days where it takes an amazing amount of patience not to scream. Like this morning - it is just after 8am, and yet Addison has already managed to spill a full cup of coffee all over the counter top in the kitchen (which was covered with clutter, of course). She then proceeded to slosh bubble solution on the carpet (yes, I'm still a bit hyper sensitive to spills on the new carpet). Her current reaction to situations like this is to whine-cry in a rather annoying pitch that does nothing to calm any of us, unfortunately. I think it's a 2yr-old thing.

Once we calmed down from the spills, she asked for an apple. About halfway through slicing and peeling an apple for her, she begins demanding toast. Now I know what my parents meant when they said "I'm not a short order chef!" It really never made as much sense to me as it does now.

And despite all of this, she is adorable. She smiles and giggles and it's amazing to watch her grasp more and more complex concepts, and hear as her vocabulary struggles to catch up. I just wish that my patience for the little ups and downs were stronger; that I was able to always see the joy and wonder in her eyes as she correctly spells out the letters on the laundry basket rather than the poop stain in the middle of the hallway where she stopped to spell.

I admit I'm a bit worried that after having baby #2 this will only become more difficult. The ability to take that deep breath and see the world through her eyes, or at least appreciate in the moment how awesome it is that she's my daughter, is an ability that takes constant attention and focus. Perhaps with two kids it will give me twice as many opportunities, although I have a feeling it will also give me double the challenges.

So in the next few weeks I am challenging myself to enjoy as many moments as I can; to slow down (as my body is urging me to anyways) and smile when she wants to work on that same puzzle for the 30th time today; to calmly explain why it isn't a good thing to spill coffee or how the puddle it makes is not ok to stomp in. And maybe, just maybe, I won't feel the urge to growl next time she misses the potty and finds the hallway instead.