Artistic Temperament

This has been a very difficult and trying week, hence the almost too-late-to-bother post. Michael has also been helping me move to a new computer, so I haven't had the easy access to my computer I'm used to (although soon it will be better than ever!). I'll make this post very abbreviated.

For the last week and a half Zane has been very terribly-twoey. I'd heard it tends to happen before they are two, and boy is it happening now. He is having great difficulty going to sleep, and he is also screaming and crying in his sleep and waking up a lot needing Mama. In the day he is very demanding, rude, violent, and insistent on doing things his way. We are having some time outs, a lot of counting to three before I declare Mama will take over, a lot of wrestling to make diaper changes, getting dressed, and getting into the car seat happen. This is not my favorite phase! I hope it is a quick one. Tonight for the first time in a while he has gone right to sleep without asking for kisses, hugs, this pillow, a different pillow, one blanket or the other, no blanket, no pillow, too hot, sun coming in the window bothers him ... He was just exhausted since nap time went so poorly!

I've been trying to wear him out with excitement, but that doesn't seem to be working. We've had story times, visits with Grandpa, visits with cousins and family, trips to the park with its big sandbox, bicycle rides to the beach with much sand playing, Folklife festival (twice), a new set of paint brushes just for Zane (and "painting" with water), swimming, and a playdate with Uma. Here we have the aftermath of the playdate.















I must say I am pretty exhausted by the emotional effort. Plus the fact that whatever is going on in Zane's brain is making his sleep very disturbed which means I get crappy sleep, too. Grouchy sleepy Mama does not have the patience she needs to get through this. And so I really should not be making this blog post longer. I will relax with wine, a cookie, and a bear documentary.