A two-year-old in a jersey

Brady turned 2 in May, and besides selling a house, buying a house, and having a baby, life was lovely.  Then my 2-year-old turned 2 1/4 years old and things got interesting.  2 was fun, 2 1/4 is fun too, but sort of fun like jumping out of a plane with a moderately reliable parachute is fun.  You look back and think it's the best thing you've ever done, but while you're jumping, you wonder how bat-shit crazy you were to actually pay money to do this.

I won't call it the terrible twos, because 85% of the time, it's awesome.  But I will call it the "willful two's," or the "Iknowwhatiwantwheniwantandyoubettergetitforme stage."  Most requests (ok, they're demands, really) are fairly reasonable when on their own.  Shoes off?  Sure.  Shoes on?  No problem.  Shoes off, on, off, no on! No! Do myself, help, myself!  Ok, well now I'm dizzy.  To Brady's defense, most of the crazy talk happens when he's incredibly tired.  But I'll admit, I want no part of the tired Brady.

A stick!  So much trouble I can get into with this!

This may prove a challenge as he goes to preschool.  School ends at noon, I'll have to pick him up and attempt to get him home awake so I can feed him and give him a nap.  Falling asleep in the car with no lunch can have devastating effects.  Especially when I have another child to carry in and care for. 

Brady had his first day at preschool today.  We went in for an hour to meet the teachers and acclimate.  Knock on wood, but I don't think separation anxiety will be too much of an issue, for either of us.  Probably just what both of us need!  Brady wore a jersey on his first day to school.  It's ALL he wants to wear, morning, noon, and night.  Actually, he'll take it off for meals, to keep it clean.  I'm learning to pick my battles, although I'm sure we look like that crazy sports family that's pushing our son towards athletic greatness.  Cliché, right?  I told a friend that Brady only wants to wear jerseys and she said, "Dresses?!" And then I realized jerseys was truly a battle not worth waging.

Look up?  Sure, I can do that mom.

 A friend told me today that the goal of parenting should not be to raise good kids, but good adults.  Sage advice, and one I'll remind myself of that the next time Brady inspires me to pull my hair out (the strands not already falling out on their own...thanks to Jackson's birth).

For now, we're raising a jock.  He may be wearing a basketball jersey, but he may have a future on the pitcher's mound.