The terrible twos are in full swing at the Eagleson house. The hallmark of two year olds is tantrums. Asher dabbles in them, but they’re not anything we haven’t seen before. As a matter of fact, Quinn set the bar pretty high in that category, so Ash’s are tame in comparison. No, the way Ash is forging into his second year is about to cause my head to explode 🤯. While I’m trying to do anything, he sets out on a mission of destruction and defiance. While I was trying to mow, he was running to the neighbor’s house, or throwing the plastic fence off of the porch. While trying to make cookies, he emptied the spice rack, and then opened every drawer in the kitchen. While trying to pay bills, he grabbed all of the cans off the shelf and took them elsewhere. He makes mess after mess and then throws a tantrum when told to pick them up. He is exhausting right now. I almost feel bad for Quinn, because things that wouldn’t normally push me over the edge with him get escalated because I’m so fed up with Ash’s shenanigans.
Quinn has earned his share of contempt, though. I almost wonder if they’ve made a pact to see who can get me to lose my shit first 😂. I’m kidding, of course, but man…it’s been a week. Or three. Does everyone struggle as much as me? Either I’m super real or I’m just a huge complainer because I feel as though not many parents talk about their trials of early childhood parenting (aside from the few who commiserate with me. I appreciate you 😊). Terrible twos and fussy fours might just be the worst combination 😂.
I hate the constant fight that comes with getting them to clean up. Especially Ash. Quinn knows the drill, so he protests some, but his acquiescence comes much more easily. Asher is still in search of the line, which has ended with him in time out more than once. I was putting him in time out in my office, but he kept laying on the bench and kicking the blinds, so I relocated him to his bedroom, upstairs. I found him playing with toys, so I put him in our bedroom instead. That left him with nothing to do, but I felt terrible when he started crying, saying there was a monster 😩. He was legitimately scared, and that’s not the point of time out. I moved him back to the bottom of the stairs, where he could still hear and sometimes see me, and now he goes back in my office. If he starts kicking the blinds I tell him he will go upstairs, and that’s usually enough to make him stop. He’s a whole other level of stubborn when he wants to be. He gets that from his dad 💯. I hate to jinx it, but I think he’s learning his lesson, and usually just the threat of time out will prompt him to do as he’s told.
He and Quinn had a goldfish throwing party in the backseat of my car one day. I took the vacuum outside and removed both car seats in order to give it a good clean. I told them this was the last time I was going to clean up food, and if they did it again, they would be cleaning. Two days later, as we were driving to Walmart in the rain, they started doing it again. They thought it was hilarious until I told them they were going to clean it up as soon as I parked. I may have looked like a crazy person making them pickup snacks off the floor of my car while the rain was pouring down, but I didn’t care 😅. I was so mad they even attempted it, there was no way I going in the store until they did.
Speaking of crazy, I gave the neighbors a show while on my front porch, right at bus drop off time 🤦🏻♀️. The kids had been testing me all day, and it was actually the day that I had mowed and Ash kept throwing things off the porch. I told them when I finished that I would fill up their water table. I did, and prefaced the play time with a warning that it had the same rules as bath time: no throwing water, no dumping water on heads, no splashing. It was not that warm; it was scoop and pour warm. Quinn agreed. Two seconds later, Ash poured a cup of water on Quinn’s arm, and then he retaliated. I lost it. I turned the table over to dump the water out, and yelled at them to get inside. All of our immediate neighbors’ kids were getting off of the bus and walking to their houses when this went down. Nice way to make an impression on our new neighbors 😅.
Quinn has been especially moody, and one day I told him to go to time out until he was ready to stop fussing. He left for his room, screaming as he went. After I stopped hearing him for a few minutes, I went upstairs to check on him, but he wasn’t there. I checked all of our bedrooms, and started to panic a bit. I yelled for him, and at first, he didn’t answer. When he finally did, his voice was coming from the living room, downstairs. He was making his way toward me and I asked him what he was doing. He said, “You told me I could come out when I was done being fussy!” 😂. He was right, so I didn’t disagree.
He told me he hated me one day last week. I knew it was coming after he called me the worst mom ever, which I mentioned last time. I told him I was sorry he felt that way, and I still loved him. I also told him saying that wasn’t nice at all and could hurt someone’s feelings. Later that night, he told me I was the best mom ever, seeming to have forgotten whatever it was that deemed me the opposite earlier in the day 🙄.
Another day, at bedtime, when he’s always willing to profess his feelings, he said, “I love you the best. Of all the people I live with, I love you and Dad the best. Actually, you know who I love the best best best? Sophie, because she has fur.” I said, “Well who can compete with that?” 😂.
Ash doesn’t verbalize his love without prompting yet, but he’s very free with his hugs, which is something I love most about him. Random baby hugs are the best ❤️.
He has no issues verbalizing anything else though 🥴. He picks up everything around him. Some of the things that he says and the concepts he understands truly blow my mind, like the following conversations:
Philip: “Ash, let’s go change your diaper.”
Ash: “No poop, Dad!”
P: “You still have pee in there.”
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*He saw me putting bread in the toaster*
Ash: “What doing, Mama? Breakfast?”
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*He was coughing in the car*
Me: “Ash are you ok?”
A: “No, I choking.”
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*As they stood at the top of the basement stairs*
Ash: “Quinn, Mama down there?”
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Ash: “Mama! Arm hurt! Hurt so much.”
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*He came into the kitchen with his hands wet from the bathroom sink*
Ash: “Too hot! Too hot, Dada!”
Philip went to check and he had the hot water cranked with no cold on 🥴.
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*brought me a cup of peaches*
Ash: “Open them for me, Mama?”
M: “Yeah, I’ll open them.”
A:“Eat them on the couch.”
M: “No, you can’t eat them on the couch.”
A:“Spidey table.”
M: “Okay.”
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Things he learned from Quinn:
Ash: “Quinn not being nice! Put him time out!”
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Ash: “Mama, Dada not listening!”
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Ash: “Hey Dada, know what?”
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Ash: “Quinn not being nice.”
Me: “Okay, you don’t have to play with him.”
A: “Ever again!”
🙄🤦🏻♀️ That’s Quinn’s favorite thing to threaten.
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Things that made me laugh:
Ash: “Mom, I want some!”
Me: “Some of what?”
A: “Dog treat.”
M: “What are you gonna do with it?”
A: “Put it in mouth.”
M: “No.”
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*While taking a family selfie*
Ash: “Dada, look at camera!”
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We had our first holiday, Easter, in our new house. It was such a great day! My brother’s family and dad came over for lunch. We had an egg hunt for the littles, and coloring for everyone 😊. Ours was the third egg hunt the boys participated in. The first was at Quinn’s class party, and the second was at Bruce Park. They both did well at the first one, but afterwards Quinn didn’t want to participate in any of the other activities. We had to divide and conquer for the second because they were in different age groups this year. Quinn wanted Philip to go with him, so I took Ash to the 0-3 side. Neither one were very aggressive, so they didn’t get the haul that Quinn has in years past. That was totally fine with me, less candy to argue about later. I hate having junk in the house because they’re asking for it as soon as they wake up 🙄.
We absolutely love our new house, minus the water we got in the basement during the recent storms. We have a sump pump, so we didn’t expect it. We think we got the problem fixed though, so hopefully it won’t happen again. When it rained really hard last week, a surge of water came into Philip’s office, underneath the exterior door. We didn’t know why until we saw the gutter overflowing on that side of the house. None of it was draining appropriately, so Philip got out the ladder and climbed up to see if there was a clog. There was, and as soon as he pulled the gunk out, the water immediately started rushing into the correct place 🙌🏻. Soaking up a million gallons of water sucks. Also, there’s no time like during a flash flood warning to be cleaning out your gutters 🥴.
We colored Easter eggs for the first time with the boys. We put food coloring in baking soda and let them paint the eggs with it. Then they squirted them with vinegar to make a cool effect
Quinn’s class Easter party. When he wears that cape, he says he a mighty hero, whatever that is 😅.
Mimi Bunny dropped off an Easter gift for the boys 🩵 🩵
Easter morning. Quinn had been wanting a Flash costume 😊. Ash got Iron Man.
Egg hunt #3
It is impossible to get these three to look in the same direction while smiling 🤦🏻♀️.
😂🤦🏻♀️ she acts just like me
🎂 🎉 🥳
Chris is one of the most thoughtful humans ever, and she took the boys to Walmart to get me flowers. She said she suggested a bouquet with lots of different flowers, but Quinn insisted on sunflowers, saying they’re my favorite 🥰. Dahlias are actually my favorite, but sunflowers are definitely second. KitKats are also my favorite 😍.
From Lincoln 🥰
This was the vibe at the tattoo parlor where I got pierced. I’ve never felt more out of place in my life 😅. I have five tattoos, but this was my first time going to that one. The piercer was really cool at least 😆.
We had big plans for my birthday weekend, hoping to get out of town, but I got a migraine two days in a row, which put a damper on things. Part of the plan was to go to a trampoline park, but bouncing and migraines don’t mix, so we nixed that one. I was feeling back to normal by that Sunday, so we took the boys to Discovery World in Parkersburg. This was our second trip, and we all had a good time. It’s fun watching Ash exploring places, even if he has done it before, because each time he’s able to do more and more.
Our trip to Oglebay earlier this week was extra fun because of Asher’s excitement 😊.
Ash loved the Dino display.
I made them a zebra themed snack to take with us. As you can see in the other photos, Ash was a fan 😆. Right when I was about to take this photo, the zebra turned and gave us a butt shot 🦓 🍑.
Another fun snack for Eclipse 2024. I made homemade Moon Pies 🌙 🥧 for the occasion.
I think Quinn’s werewolf transformation might’ve become complete during the eclipse 😅. He told me to take these photos of him and thought they were hilarious.
Ash wouldn’t stop bugging her until Kate took him for a ride 😂
We met Carlowe & Micah at the blue park 🥰
The water table has been a huge hit the last few days. They’ve loved playing with the neighbor kids. I’m excited for summer ☀️
The first day I filled it up again after my meltdown 😅, Harper and her friend, Rowan, played with it with Quinn. He told me, “Mom, they got me good!” 😂😂
I wish I had a pic of when Quinn dumped water over Ash’s head on this day because he covered his eyes first, like I do in the bathtub 😅. At least he was slightly considerate 😆.
These boys have really taken to Harper. Ash even fed her cheez its, quite possibly against her will 😂.
The best thing about this move has been how often we get to see our extended family ❤️. Well, that, and the fact the kids are now sleeping in their own beds most of the night 😆. Three nights ago was a different story, though. Ash came in to get me in the middle of the night, so I tried putting him in bed with me, but he rolled around too much and I was afraid he was going to fall off. I ended up going to his bed with him. When I woke up, Quinn had taken over my pillow, and he was squished up against my back. I thought four people in a king size bed was bad, three in a twin is way worse! 🥴
A swing full of goobers. We had bought this swing before we moved to put on our old swing set. We don’t have the space for the set, so we hung it up on the porch, but then….
Kiki sent us a porch swing as a housewarming gift! I seriously have the best friends 🥰. We love it and use it every day!
Our friends, Mollie and Iris, stopped by to see our new house. Iris was enjoying our whiteboard and didn’t want to leave 😊.
Our old neighbors and friends, Ryan and Lill and their boys, stopped to see us, too. Lill brought a bag of costumes for our boys that she had been given. They were super stoked about it 😆. Quinn is glad Ash has a ninja costume, too.
😆
Quinn has been living in his ninja suit, only taking it off when he has to because he’s in trouble. I decided to find some ninja 🥷 themed activities for them to do. They practiced attacking ninja balloons with ninja stars and different style kicks.
I made them a ninja fruit snack, and I’m aware it was terrible 😆.
We transformed some Easter eggs into ninja eggs.
This is Quinn’s to go when he loses the right to wear his costumes. He turns his shirts backwards and puts a bathrobe over it, making his own costume 🙄. He gets some funny looks when he wears his robe in public 😅.
I learned Ash could string small beads onto a pipe cleaner, while at story time this week. Philip had the week off, so he attended his first ever story time with us 🤗.
We repurposed some broken Easter eggs to practice balancing while tower building.
Quinn learned how to go across the monkey bars by himself 👏🏻. At least the low ones at Lewis Wetzel Park, anyway.
He’s been doing really well with counting to 100. I’m a visual learner, so I created some superhero counting sheets to help him slow down, and point to the number that’s he saying. It seems to help him.
Quinn is still working hard on perfecting his handwriting. I made him a dry erase tracing sheet for the letters he was struggling with most.
He asked me how to spell Kate, and he was so proud when he finished writing it ❤️.
He’s been copying the letters on his word cards, too.
Miss Tella had a cool watercolor alphabet activity for them to do at the library.
He should be more than ready to go to Pre-K in the fall! We had his open house this week, where he got to go meet the teachers. He has mad we didn’t get to see the entire school 😆.
At the Little Red Schoolhouse this week, Quinn’s class got to interact with Little Kevin, local celebrity tortoise. He was signing books at The Book Store today, so we went and bought an autographed copy 😊. The author, and Kevin’s owner, Brian Croasmun, recognized Quinn. I can’t imagine how 🥴. I mean, surely he had more than one kid dressed as a ninja in the classes he visited, right? 😅
All of the storms have had her scared 🥺. She chose Quinn to comfort her, an unusual choice.
If he’s not around, she hides under something. The climbing dome is a perfect hideout for her. When we first moved in, the previous owner’s piano was still here, something we weren’t thrilled about. It finally left on April 1st, so we had the space to put the climbing dome out. How long it stays will be determined by how much they use it.
We may have to keep it just for Sophie, though 😉.
Quinn made a fort under the extra table I put out for Easter dinner, but Soph thought it was for her 😅.
She napped with Ash yesterday 💜.
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