Jimmy

I just love him so much I want to squish him.  And sometimes I want to squish him because he's so onery.  How can a little person be so cute, sweet, loving, thoughtful, funny, perceptive, observant, cute and cute but also be stubborn, onery, stubborn, and really just plain stubborn?

First the sweet, helpful, observant Jimmy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-SpNgusFMU&feature=youtu.be

I think some teenagers I know could take lessons from this two year old.  I was cooking dinner and trying to finish up the laundry at the same time and without me saying a word to him he came and started unloading the washer for me.  Blew my mind. 

Onery, stubborn Jimmy though – boy is he a doozy.  No videos or pictures of that side but yesterday was about the worst day we've ever had with him in his 2.5 years.  He was in trouble from the moment he got up until he went to bed – with some sweet moments sprinkled in to be sure.  I'm pretty sure it's all normal behavior for a two year old but it was a rough day for the ol' parents and for Jimmy.  He stubbornly refused to be obedient even with much discipline and whined all day.  Usually whining means "I need a nap" but he'd wake up from his nap whining and throwing a fit.

To top the day off while watching Dora in his room he apparently decided to check out his diaper.  Took his shorts off, then his poopy diaper and somehow or another got it smeared on his hands, foot, floor and the pillow.  After the day we'd had with him that put me over the edge.  I didn't even punish him since I was pretty sure he was just curious and maybe even trying to help out by changing his own diaper but the whole time I was cleaning the floor all I could think was "I DON'T OWN A DOG FOR A REASON!!!!!!!!"

I guess the day he'd had really wore him out though, as much as it did us, because right after I was done cleaning his floor I combed his hair out and he asked to go to bed.  He was out almost before I got out of the door.  I hope for his sake and ours that we don't have too many more days like that.  I told his daddy that his stubbornness could serve him well one day if he learns how to harness it but right now it's a pain to deal with.