Full Steam Ahead to Toddlertown...Ugh.

Nora's daycare, those bastions of child-rearing excellence (with their operating room shoe covers, "allergen-free" kitchen and disease that runs amok just like anywhere those Petri dishes known as toddlers roam) have requested pictures. They want recent pictures of Nora alone and Nora with her family. I suppose they figure that even though they are caring for my child through the vast majority of her waking hours and formative years, they should nod to the fact that we somehow created the kid.

Sadly, my embittered state has precluded such frivolous pursuits as recording the development of Nora as a person or us as a family. So, I broke out the old camera the other day. These are what I came up with. They'll have to do.

Eric's parents were here last week, since we were both on call for the weekend. They had a wonderful time with the Stinker. Now, Nora keeps asking for and calling for "Nanny." Particularly when she's not terribly pleased with me. As in, when I say, "Nora, it's time for bed, " she narrows her eyes at me and runs away, yelling, "Nanny?!?!" I think she's grasped the concept of a second opinion. Not that it does her any good.

Nora is thriving. She comes out with new words daily, now. She also got three time-outs today. Slapping is fun, apparently. The good with the bad, the good with the bad. I'm continually reminding myself that Nora is a toddler and that this isn't personal. Being the bad guy gets pretty old, especially when everyone who cares for her tells me what a wonderful, delightful child she is and how they have no trouble with her whatsoever. Our time together is so limited and she has to spend it testing, testing, testing. I'd never not set limits (that's how you get an out-of-control dog, I mean kid, right?), but there are times that it's tempting to just set it all aside and play. Just play. Know what I mean?