The majority of my war stories about parenting are shared with parents that have kids Alexis' age. My time is most spent following the 10-year old around, and there aren't many 10-year olds running around with a 2-year old sibling. Thus, it's rare that I interact with the parent of a toddler.
But once in a while I do.
To tell the story about the OMGSTAAAAHP, I have to admit something. Go ahead and judge me for it because I'm not stopping until Mila says I have to, but the Tiny Human falls asleep in my arms every night. Still. I sit in the chair in her room and rock her to sleep and it's the best. If she wants me to go off to college with her and continue it, that's cool. I'll be ready and waiting, probably with a bigger chair.
Anyway, for the past month or so, we've done the rock to sleep thing, but just when I think Mila is finally fully asleep, she bolts upright and demands water.
EVERY. NIGHT.
Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Little Snore. WATER, PLEASE.
I can be trained, so I keep a cup of water next to the chair. It's no big thing because she chugs half the water, lays back down, and passes out. Except, one night, things didn't go quite that smoothly.
First the water wasn't acceptable because it didn't have ice in it.
Then it was in the wrong cup.
Not THAT cup. The other cup.
It's supposed to be water from Alexis' bottle, you dummy.
The water is too cold.
Why is it in a bottle? It should be in a cup.
And on and on.
I couldn't get it right and Mila wouldn't give up.
I was telling the story to the parent of a toddler because it's funny. There's something completely hysterical about how toddlers are quick to articulate what they want, but even quicker to change their minds about what they want. I can't help but laugh every time Mila does it.
The toddler parent did not share my amusement. She launched into a story about how crazy it makes her when her kid does it and woof. You guys, she gets rattled to the core by it. As she ended her looooong retort about how awful toddlers are, she said, "I can't wait until she's older. Everything is going to be so much easier."
I think that might be the funniest thing I've ever heard another parent say. I guess we'll have to hope that mom can find her groove because the best is yet to come.
