Taming the Terrible Twos

Becoming a stay-at-home mom after working for the first 2-1/2 years of my son's life has its challenges. The most notable is returning home while he's this particular age - TWO.

The last couple of days have really been "one of those days" with my son, who is doing everything he can to exhert his independance. Bed time rituals have gone completely out the window this week, partly because my husband is working evenings and is usually the one to get him to settle down. Then, today, when we were running errands in town, I nearly had to go on my hands and knees to drag him out of the racks of suits he was hiding in the men's department as I was trying to talk with the salesperson.

Of course, when he got a little tap on his bottom and a stern talking to, I, according to his 2-year-old reasoning, was being naughty and "making him very angry." Naptime was equally a struggle - he sat screaming on his bed for 1/2 an hour before my husband and I finally let him out to only crash five minutes later in our bed. So is life with a toddler...

With our view of the Great Sound, we can watch the winter weather coming in from the North even before it arrives. In the last few weeks, we see rainbows almost on a daily basis as the rain comes rolling in.

As we are trying to raise our child in the Christian tradition, I try to remind him daily by asking him, "Who made the rainbows?" My son's answer is always the same: "Jesus."

When I see the rainbows, I try to remember God's promises - not only that He'll not flood the earth again, but that all things will come to an good end for those who keep trusting in Him. My son's third birthday is only five months away; he's growing daily. And all the other problems I face in relation to work, finances, depression, etc., will also come to an end.

This, too, shall pass....