Terrible 2's = understatement

Its official. The joyous phase we all dread has now made its debut into our lives. Dont get me wrong, we have had our share of tantrums for quite some time now, but just recently has it become truly "terrible". You hear about it from family members, or Nanny 911 (hopefully I am not at that point of rescuing yet!). The embarrassing display of screaming, kicking, throwing themselves down on the ground... all such pleasant sites! I have been told that when I was 2, I was a fiery red headed bundle of trouble. I guess Dallin is taking after his mommy minus the red hair. I know it is just a phase, so I try not to dwell on it too much. Sometimes the exhaustion of trying to discipline him all day sets in and I soon reach a point of anger (which as a mom is not the funnest feeling towards your own child) This is when I have to take a deep breath and leave the situation all together! Here is my conclusion about tantrums as it pertains to Dallin.
a. He is only doing it for attention. Most of the time when I am down playing with him, or we are out doing something fun he is just the cutest bundle of joy! Only when I am busy doing something that doesnt involve him or when he is bored does he have a major breakdown. I try and find a balance between his time and my time to avoid these issues. He does however do really well when we are out running errands, which is why I love going out! We tend to just walk around stores in the jogging stroller with snacks and we are golden. It is a good way to spend a few hours in the day.
b. He responds best when I either ignore him, or completely change the subject. I have to be selective on my "time outs" or he doesnt really react.
c. He acts our more when he is tired or hungry. Night time and right before dinner are the two most common times for this.

This phase has been the hardest for me so far. Although I think Dallin is so fun right now, and I love how creative he is and fun and loving, it is definitely the hardest age so far. I would rather be sleep deprived every night then feel emotionally exhauseted. Sometimes I just get so frustrated and tired of trying to discipline him I wonder if it is worth it. I know in the long run it is, but in the moment I am just so mad at myself for letting it get so out of hand. I often wonder if it has anything to do with my parenting abilities, or if every 2 year old boy has such aggression. Who knows. All I know is that I hope this phase is over soon, because I know how sweet and adorable Dallin is and I just want him to shine!!! And to think I want another child to throw in the mix of all this craziness. Maybe my crazy body is trying to tell me something by not allowing "things" to happen the way I always thought they would. Oh well. There is a song on the radio right now by Jordan Sparks called "one step a time" I love the words to this song, and feel it relates to my life right now. Here are some of the words

Hurry up and wait so close yet so far away
everything that you've always dreamed of
close enough for you to taste but you just cant touch

You wanna show the world but no one knows your name yet
wondering when and where and how you're gonna make it
you know you can if you get the chance
in your face and the door keeps slamming

now you're feeling more and more frustrated
and you're getting all kind of inpatient, waiting
we live and we learn to take

one step at a time, theres no need to rush
its like learning to fly or fallin in love
its gonna happen and its supposed to happen
that we find the reasons why, one step at a time

Love that song. Obviously that pertains to other parts of my life too, not just the terrible 2s although its a good lesson for me to take it one step at a time and one day a time with Dallin! Thanks for listening to me ramble!