It's really no secret that One is my least favorite age of all. To hear me talk about Alexis at age One is to hear me talk about how very much I didn't like her. I loved her, definitely, but I didn't like her because:
1. One has no common sense.
2. One is very honey badger about everything.
3. One has way more energy than me.
4. Energy without common sense is a nightmare.
5. Did I mention that energy without common sense is a nightmare? Because I think that's the key right there.
Alexis started walking at 13 months and spent the next several months walking everywhere. She refused to be carried, she refused to sit in a stroller or cart, and she refused to go in the same direction as me. Going to the grocery store to purchase one item was a big production that required two hours, a bottle of booze, and some duct tape.
Parking lots were exhausting because she wanted to play in traffic.
Restaurants were exhausting because she wanted to run laps.
Everything was exhausting.
But then Two rolled around and Alexis became a pretty fantastic little person. So.
I'm not sure exactly why Mila's round of One is so much less infuriating (so far), but it is. She most certainly is a very different person, but maybe I just have really low expectations? Maybe I'm beaten into submission? Maybe I haven't slept in so long that I don't realize she's running laps through Dunkin' Donuts while the employees give me the stinkeye?
Oh, wait. That did happen. I remember it. But for as much as I remember chasing her over and over and making her sit back down over and over, I also remember not reaching the end of my sanity rope. I was exhausted, sure, but I was able to stay in the game.
(The lack of a high chair contributed mightily to the situation, but I don't really expect every public place to understand how much easier my life is when my kid is tied to the furniture.) (It defies logic, but if Mila is tied to the furniture, she's super chill and cooperative. Too bad I can't use duct tape in public.) (OR CAN I?)
So far, One with Mila includes a tolerance for the stroller, totally refusing to sit in a cart but a willingness to push a cart all over a store, a love for exploration if it's nearby, and a heavy dose of "Up, peeeeese." It's manageable.
Two is going to be super awful, isn't it?
