Toddler to the Max!
Originally written May 24, 2012 | Updated for new blog
Reflection: Looking back, I laugh out loud every time I reread this one. It was one of those days where everything felt like chaos—but now I see it as pure toddler comedy gold. Parenting young kids is wild, messy, unpredictable—and somehow, you still survive it. This story reminds me how far I’ve come and how strong I’ve always been, even in the small moments.
Today... I got a dose of toddler to the MAX.
This morning, my beloved almost-three-year-old, Andrew, brought me a box of tampons and pads. He held it out proudly and asked,
"Mommy, can I play with these?"
My response? “OMG, Andy, no! Those are Mommy’s... umm...”
Before I could finish, he said, "But I want the pink one!"—and ran off giggling with the box.
Well, luckily for me, I’m faster. Crisis averted. I snatched the box back and this time put it under the sink where I thought it would be safe.
Later, Andrew came running up again: "Mommy, I want cheese!"—clutching a package of cheese and a dozen eggs.
So I gave him a piece of cheese and left him in the kitchen while I went to check on baby Maddisen, who was very vocal about her dislike of being alone.
I scooped her up, did a little tidying, and made my way back to the kitchen... where I was greeted by that toddler smile. You know the one. The “I totally did something wrong” smile.
Apparently, Andrew did not want cheese after all—at least, not in the traditional sense. Because every bit of it was broken up and smeared across the entire kitchen table.
I sighed, popped Maddisen into her chair, and cleaned up the cheese disaster.
Then nature called. And of course, I brought Maddisen with me because if I didn’t, the screaming would’ve echoed through the neighborhood.
So there I am, sitting on the toilet, trying to take a moment to myself, when Andrew runs in again—this time with that same box from under the sink.
I thought, “I’m not exactly in a position to chase him down. What’s the worst that could happen?”
...To be continued. (Just kidding—I did get the box back. Mostly intact.)
