When Does Toddlerhood End?

This has been a challenging and emotionally draining week for me as a mother. Grayson turned twenty-one months old on Friday, but really, I think he's been in his terrible two stage since he turned one. The highlights of the week?? Let's see...Tuesday morning he learned to move a chair to our sliding glass door, climb up, unlock the door, open it and then run outside; that afternoon we had to leave our adoptive families playgroup early because he wouldn't behave and started running all around the coffee house; Thursday he tossed his hat into the river near my sister-in-law's house - it was not retrieved; Saturday he vomited all over himself in his carseat and in my truck, what a lovely smell; and today he had to be removed from nursery at church because he was throwing toys and hitting.

I'm starting to realize I have one of "those" children. You know, the ones you see throwing temper tantrums in the grocery store because their mothers told them they couldn't have something, or the ones who steal the toys from the other kids and think it's funny, or the ones who, like Grayson, run obnoxiously around the coffee house. The ones you said your child would never be like.

I guess it's a trade off. Grayson was an excellent baby, so toddlerhood seems like it's going to be a challenge. He loves to eat anything, so instead of the child who refuses to eat his vegetables, I get the child who refuses to take a nap. He's very polite, he says "please" and "thank you," plus he takes the time to say "bless you" after someone sneezes. So I suppose the trade off there is the continual energy he seems to have, constantly running away from me when I call him, giggling all the way.

I guess I need to get myself ready for what's to come. I know toddlerhood isn't going to end any time soon, so I might as well do whatever I can to survive the ride and do what I can to help Grayson grow from his experiences during this turbulent time. Like one of my best friends always says about her daughter, these qualities may be stressful now, but that independent, strong-willed nature will serve our kids well when they are adults.