Minds of Their Own: A Reflection

Toddlers. My toddler to be specific. Now I know this phase is natural, I know they are trying to gain control of their world, I know we must be empathetic and supportive and understanding, but GOODNESS GRACIOUS PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER CHILD!

Okay, it's not that bad. It seems as though we are going through a particularly independent phase lately and I'm trying desperately (in vain) to be calm and easy-going about it all.

The dancing cowgirl ballerina

Most days these are the arguments we go through:
1) Socks. She wants to pick them out. They must be one foot, one color - the other foot, a different color. Usually it's one pink, one purple or one green, one yellow (this is ridiculous that I'm even repeating this habit). If she can't find those combos either in her drawer or in the dirty clothes hamper, then she just pulls all her socks out of her drawer and pulls them apart and "counts" them. It takes me at least 10 minutes in the morning to get her out of her sock obsession.
2) Changing her diaper. She hates to stop anything she's doing, especially if its to change her diaper (I know, very typical). We are very sensitive lately about all things potty related, even if its just a diaper change.
3) Clothes. When she can't wear her purple ice cream shirt two sizes too small for the third day in a row, she is very hard to persuade to put any other clothes on. If you came to my house and searched the nooks and crannies, you might find purple pants and shirts stashed there. I try and hide them just so we can wear a different color of the rainbow.
4) And lately, healthy food. Namely, vegetables. My fantabulous veggie eater has decided all of a sudden she does not like them (unless its roasted broccoli - but mom and dad need a little more variation okay). She'll eat me out of house and home with fruit, but she'll stick one teensy-weensy corner of green bean in her mouth and hawk a loogie (sp?) onto her plate like she swallowed a fly. Over dramatic much? Although, I must say persistence pays off. I have tried putting several different kinds of veggies on her plate all week, and she ate yellow beets, of all things, like they were doritos. This lack of interest in vegetables has not helped our sensitivity to all things potty related - if you get my drift.....

Ah, the trials and tribulations of toddlerhood. If any of you other parents are having a hard time coming up with something different/fun/healthy-ish for your picky eater,  here was a tasty recipe Noella enjoyed for Broccoli and Bowties pasta.

Happy Friday!