Take Me Away

So today was one of those days where I totally "get" the Calgon lady. I suppose it wasn't a typically busy day, just one of many annoyances and patience running very, very thin. To start my day, Cody has been in California on business since early yesterday morning. So after an entire day of all-by-myself Owen duty, I awoke to yet another day of the same thing. Don't get me wrong, I love my child but he is really starting to test me lately.

Our biggest problem as of late is his eating habits. Owen has always been a wonderful eater, eating everything from broccoli to carrots to roast beef to peaches. He has always eaten a well-rounded amount of fruits and veggies and never really complained. I guess now he figures he needs to make up for lost time because he is not happy with his menu. Needless to say, I loathe mealtimes around here. I know there is going to be some arguing at some point throughout the meal and I don't look forward to it. I do everything I can to make these old foods look appealing. I started with a new spoon. The excitement of adding a utensil to the meal was enough to keep him eating well for a week or so. Then we moved on to a new fork. This also proved to be exciting for him. He won't take it from my hand or even pick it up himself, but throw it on a fork and let him hold it and he'll eat it. Who knew one could draw so much excitement from utensils? When that started to get old, I had to break out the airplane. So tonight, here I am with the peas and carrots on the new spoon saying, "Here it comes! One, two, three, YUMMY!!!" and I "fly" the airplane into the hangar. Oddly enough, this little trick worked! He ate the peas and carrots from the spoon and even smiled about it. Unfortunately, it only worked a few times and by the end of the meal he was spitting out said peas and carrots, throwing the once-loved spoon and fork on the floor, and tossing the bowl of peas and carrots into the air. I took that as a sign that he was taking no more of my "tricks" and dinner was now over.

After dinner I found myself counting down the minutes to "Wheel." I hate to be a mother who uses TV to pacify her child but after a long day of whining, temper tantrums, bad eating, and a little bit of sucking on his thumb (this is a new development of which I'm not sure how or why it started and I pray it does not continue) I NEEDED THE WHEEL!!! Thankfully that bought me a little half hour of peace as we watched and cheered and then it was off to bath time.

We got through the bath relatively peacefully but my crabby boy soon returned as we tried to brush his teeth and get him ready for bed. He just was NOT having ANY of it! While the clock read 7:23pm, ( I usually wait until AT LEAST 7:30pm to start rocking) I was ready for a little reading and rocking!!! So we read our usual bedtime stories and then the time comes for rocking on Mom's shoulder--arguably my favorite part of the day--and he doesn't want to cuddle with me! My heart is breaking!

So, I ask all you Moms out there, the newbies and the veterans, what has happened to my sweet boy? Are we already gearing up for the infamous Terrible Twos? Is it just a bad week? Do I need to start buying Calgon in bulk?