Life with a Threenager- Round 2

Back when Maia was in the throes of the "terrible" twos, I walked around thinking I was the best mother on the planet. She never had temper tantrums (really, never). She was sweet and polite. She very rarely balked at sharing (although I feel like ice cream may have been the exception). She was really funny. She hardly ever whined, and when she argued with us it almost felt like we were arguing with an articulate 20-something. We loved spending every minute possible with her. I was prepared for things to get bumpy when she became a big sister at 2 years 9 months, but my little angel stayed exactly that. We had a fabulous summer (helped no doubt by Daddy getting four weeks of paternity leave!) and then... she turned three. As with sleep I wondered (at the top of my lungs), "Why didn't anyone warn me about three-year-old girls?! I thought two was supposed to be the bad year!"

It was one of the millions of people I complained to, (really I complained to ANYONE who would listen. Still do, I'm afraid) who let me in on the secret: age two is hell with boys, age three with girls. Whichever wise person it was who clued me in also promised me that by four I would have my amazing kid back and be once again loving life. And whoever you are, you were right! By four Maia had returned to the sweet little girl we adored and missed. (I mean, she was always our sweet little girl... she just kept it a little hidden for large chunks of time during that year.) Gone was the threenager... until May 2011.

I was pretty much over the moon when we learned Cecily would be a girl all those years ago. I have two wonderful little brothers whom I wouldn't trade for anything in the world... now that we're all grown up. Back when we were kids, though, I wanted a sister. Badly. (I also really wanted an older brother but that's a story for another time.) So I was thrilled to know that Maia and her sister would get to live my dream. Until I remembered that the baby girl would someday turn three (and don't even get me started on my fears of the teen years, 'cause I actually know something about those...). And here we are- Cecily has been three for a month and a half and my hair stylist is now strongly hinting that my grey hair may need to be dealt with. Tonight's episode of "Life with a Threenager" was one for the ages...

As mentioned, a lot, our kids have some sleep issues (see above). And while they've improved in some ways, we still have our struggles. Lately, it's the sun. They really need to go to bed on the early side, and in the winter it's not so much an issue. Now, though, when the days are at their longest- well, we have some tired kids. Tonight's exhaustion was compounded by a very busy weekend and a late in the day birthday party. By all accounts, the birthday party was lots of fun. And I tried not to panic when the kids walked in the front door at 6pm with ice cream and frosting smeared across their lovely little faces. Much to my delight, Maia went to sleep quickly and without fuss. Cecily... it's possible you heard her screaming from wherever you're reading this.

Let me be clear- this was not general screaming. She was not hungry or thirsty or scared. She was mad. Not just mad. She was MAD. What was she mad about? She was mad that her twirly birthday party back on MAY 7 wasn't twirly. AT ALL! No one twirled with her. Not her sister. Not Abby or Lizzy. Not Teddy or Gingy. Not Mommy or Daddy or any of the other Mommies and Daddies. NO ONE TWIRLED. Maia and I tried to soothe the threenager monster. We told her she could have a twirly birthday party for her fourth birthday and we promised everyone would twirl. More screaming. We told her that really everyone did twirl and she's just tired and not remembering it accurately. More screaming. We told her that we would all twirl at Daddy's party this coming weekend. More screaming. And then... Maia fell asleep. Right in the middle of the incredibly loud screaming that was probably heard in Alaska and in Venezuela and definitely in the house next door. Cecily kept that screaming up for a full thirty minutes, even adding some wall kicking in to better express her rage and disappointment. And then... she fell asleep, mid-scream. I checked all her vitals just in case, but really she just passed out of consciousness mid-scream. I looked in wonder at my little threenager and thought of all the ridiculous things she's argued with me about over the last few weeks. And then, just as the quiet night was beginning to relax me, Maia woke up...