The paradoxical terrible twos

It hit me the other day how paradoxical the emotions you have can be when you have a toddler in the terrible twos.

Take for example this past Sunday. Angelica is so two years old, and the day went pretty much like this...

• Wake up
• Angelica wakes up.
• Angelica screams to get dressed.
• Angelica refuses to put clothes on.
• Angelica runs around naked.
• Mommy pins Angelica down and (gently) forces her diaper and clothes on.
• Angelica and I spend some time playing and getting fully woken up. Scott asks her what she wants for breakfast.
• Angelica screams for waffles. Scott makes one for her.
• Angelica refuses to eat the waffles she so adamantly wanted 30 seconds before and demands cereal instead.
• Angelica eats no breakfast! (Not because we took it away, but because she told me she doesn't LIKE waffles. Since when?? Little stinker :))
  
• We drive to church. Angelica is being very cute and singing in the back seat. We sing along. She points out all of the Christmas trees and Santas and Frostys along the road the whole way there which is pretty much one of the cutest things ever.
• Angelica screams to go to the church nursery.
• Angelica screams that she doesn't want us to leave the nursery.
• Angelica yells at us to "Go away!"
• Church is over, we pick her up and head home (peacefully). We're all happy to be back together!
• Ask her what she wants for lunch: "NOTHING! I no WANT lunch!"
• Then: "I WANT PASTA FOR LUNCH! WAAAHHH!"
• Home. Pasta. I cut coupons and prepare a list for the grocery store.
• Angelica throws her pasta in my face and climbs down from her chair and tries to grab my scissors. And screams when I don't let her have them. (She yells, "I want to cut coupons my big self!")
• Angelica goes down for nap. I go grocery shopping.
• I get home, Angelica has refused to nap and is playing blocks with Daddy. She is very happy to see me. I give her big hugs and kisses.
• I put the groceries away and then we go to the mall (complete with adorable cheez-its outburst) and have super happy fun time because she goes on a choo choo train with Mommy and thinks its the best thing ever. (And likewise, it warmed my heart to see her SO happy!) She also plays on the mall playground and then gets frooshpunsh (fruit punch).
• We have to run into Target for something. Angelica screams "No WANT to go to Target!"
• We finish at Target. Angelica screams "No WANT to go home, I just want to stay at TARGET!"
• We get home. Scott cooks dinner. Angelica and I play and snuggle and enjoy a little quiet time.
• Angelica eats her dinner and tries to eat mine too.
• We finish dinner, Scott goes to run her bath. I take a minute just to answer a quick email. In that minute, Angelica grabs Scott's PSP (portable gaming system, for those not in the know), throws it across the kitchen.
• I tell her to go to time out for throwing. She says no. She grabs Scott's (closed) can of soda. I grab for the can of soda and try to get it out of her hand and then in the struggle I realize that if she slips she could get hurt so I let go and gently sit her down.
• Before I can even react, she hurls the soda can across the room...it bursts over and sprays all 12 ounces of diet cola all over our light blue carpet. Angelica laughs. I look at Scott and he looks at her and says, "That is NOT funny!"
• I insist it's bath time. NOW. Scott cleans the carpet. Angelica joyfully climbs in the tub, we play and sing songs with minimal toddler outbursts. Then she gets bored and fills up her rinsing cup and throws it in my face for the third time (she's already been warned twice to keep the water IN the tub or bath time would be over.)
• I pull her up out of the tub and she screams "NOOOOOO I just wanna stay IN!"
• We brush teeth. She yells at me to leave. I tell her I have to stay to keep an eye on her so she's safe. She hits me. I give her the cup to rinse and spit.
• We head to the bedroom. She refuses to get dressed. She runs around naked (again). She screams at me every time I get close to "go away". I grab her and force her into diaper and clothes and tell her to get her wubby.
• We read stories. She tells me she had the best day ever and that she had fun at the choo choo and at the playground. She insists on giving me two huge kisses and hugs. She says, "Love you Mommy, goodnight, see you morning, has sweet dreams!"

I close her door, breathe for a second and say to Scott..."That little girl is the most wonderful little person in the world. I love her so much."

Having a very strong-willed two year old reminds me on a regular basis that it is possible for someone to be both the most frustrating person in your life and the most amazing.