Or at least mine are. My children have a lot of things in common with each other. But they are also Such different people. This is actually a very good thing because they both have different sweet sides and different annoying sides. (Did I just say annoying? Certainly I didn't use that word....could my kids ever annoy me? Lets say frustrating sides. Yes, that sounds much better.) This way there are a variety of buttons being pushed, versus the same ones over and over and over. This really helps keep me a little more sane. Anyways, I have decided each of my children is like a different piece of candy. So here, enjoy this analogy.
Makenna is definitely best described as being like a bag of Sour Patch Kids. With each and every bite and every piece, what you get is a little sweet and a little sour. And that is Just like Makenna. She is never a perfectly well behaved little angel. She has her very sweet and cuddly moments, but most of the time they are just sort of speckled throughout the day. She is also not really a terrible and wild child or mean or anything like that. But she is always sort of testing her boundaries, making sure the line is still there, seeing what she can get away with. She is quick to give hugs and kisses and tell you how much she loves you and do adorable, sweet little thoughtful things. She keeps me laughing all the time and knows how to make me smile, even when I want to be annoyed. And then at the same time she will quickly sneak a cookie and run outside with it before I can notice and stop her the moment my back is turned. So there you go...a little sweet and a little sour pretty much all the time.
Kellen would more appropriately be described as a Fireball. Remember these? As kids we used to buy them from 7 Eleven for something like 10 cents a piece. When you first put a fireball in your mouth it tastes super good and sweet. But before long the fire hits you. It is spicy and all you really want to do is get the thing out of your burning mouth. At the same time though, there is a sweetness to the taste that keeps you holding on. And if you can handle the burn long enough, the reward is amazing. Inside is a delicious, sweet center- Soooo yummy once you get through the challenge of the burn. And this is my little Kellen. The only thing is the the burn does not always, or even usually come before the sweetness. The burn tends to show up unannounced and often times hardly even provoked at all. Kellen is the sweetest, most loving, good natured, kind, loving little boy. He really is such a sweetheart. He loves big and wants a lot of love in return. He doesn't have much feist in him unless he is provoked. He is a very good, obedient listener most of the time and is such a cuddly little guy. But he is the most emotional child I know. At the drop of a hat this kid will fall apart into outrageous tantrums....Beyond your average 2 year old tantrum. He can be Soooo needy, especially of his mommy (which yes, is very flattering but also very daunting and exhausting at times too). So if you can tolerate the moments of insanity, you are left with nothing but sweetness. You just have to have the patience to endure the pain.
On that note, if anyone has any tips on how to handle extreme toddler tantrums, I am totally open to advice. I do not spank and never will, so if that is the only advice you have to give I will not be taking it ;) I have tried ignoring the tantrums, which is what I did with Kenna and it worked like a charm. Sometimes ignoring works. Other times he will just continue to go on and on and on for an unacceptable amount of time and at a painfully loud, high pitched volume. This just won't fly when there is a newborn in the house.
Today I tried putting him in his crib after a few minutes when I could tell he was not going to calm down. I went back in and checked on him after a few minutes of screaming by himself and he calmed down as soon as I walked in the room and was ready to come out and behave. We ended up having to repeat this 3 times within a half hour before he finally stayed calm, but it did seem to be working and did seem to get the point across to him that his behavior is not okay. So for now this is going to be my approach unless anyone has anything more brilliant for me to try. I am just feeling a lot of pressure to get this a bit more under control before Conner arrives in about 6 weeks. These tantrums have only gotten this bad in the last week or so, and I am also hoping it is just a quick stage or was triggered by the business and craziness of last week. Anyway, I needed to vent for a moment and now I have. Hopefully that leaves me a more patient and refreshed Mommy tomorrow.
