The Trying Two's

I have decided not to call it the TERRIBLE two's, because even at its worst...it's far from terrible. Trying is a much more fitting word, and tried has my patience been.  I feel as if I fail a thousand times and then some on a daily basis. I'm trying to wrangle in this crazy stage with crazy attitudes and crazy tears. Everyone always warned me that this time would come, but I chose to believe that the "two's" would never have an affect on my sweet boy and his tender heart.

10 tantrums later, one lasting an hour long.....and my optimistic mind set had been cued into a reality check. Who would have thought that asking my son to put on a shirt, because he was shivering and cold, would be such a horrific request.....his tender heart is still there, and I'm sure always will be. But a little naughty side has creeped its way into a few crooks and crevices.

Two is hard.

It's hard on mom, it's hard on little brother, it's hard on the two year old.

But we are working through it.

 I make disciplining mistakes; I speak out of frustration.

I'm praying for patience. I'm trying to lead with integrity and gain understanding. 

I want to parent with love not desperation.

A friend shared this on Facebook the other day and it was exactly what my mama heart needed to read. 

Source: Birth Boot Camp

It helped me realize that this season isn't just frustrating for me, but also for my little boy. Especially considering that he still doesn't talk a whole lot. I often have conversations with mom about raising 4 kids, we talk about the good, the bad and the in-between times. She has has told me over and over that the hardest age with us kids was between 18-24 months when we didn't talk much. Well, hello.....Cole may be 27 months old but with so little words he can't tell me that he is upset, he has to show me.

He lets me know.

So no, these aren't terrible times, they are trying.

Terrible would be losing out on the chance to raise my boys. 

So I will pray through the trying and embrace the sweet, such is the journey of Motherhood.

 Cole is trying to learn how to be a big boy, and I am trying to learn how to be a good mom.

At least we can try together, as a team, as it should be.