The Incredible Flying Toddler Incident

Okay, so I'm trying to put B down for a nap today (for those of you who don't know, "B" is my almost-two-year-old son), and he's resisting. He wants his milk. He wants more muffin. He's whining and crying and throwing his stuffed animals out of the crib. I lost my patience and got mad and yelled at him. Said it was nap time and he'd better go to sleep. After I said "goodnight" and walked out, he kept saying "Mommy, come back!" Not sad or whiny. Almost like he was laughing. Like he KNEW he could get under my skin. And now I'm standing in my bedroom listening to this and laughing to myself, because, my G_d he's 23 months and he's MANIPULATIVE! How brilliant is that?

So I went back in and, this time kindly, said "B, it's nap time. Now lay down." (He did.) "Okay, good. Go to sleep now." I tucked him in and went downstairs to text his dad and as I'm texting I hear this cacophonous, house-shaking crash. Scared the living bejesus out of me. So I go running upstairs and he comes running out of his room over to the (thankfully closed) gate with tears in his eyes and he says,

"Mommy! Baby fall bed!" and points back at his room. (Sitting here now, that line is HILARIOUS. When it was happening, less so.)

Yeah. He launched himself out of the crib. I grabbed him and checked him all over, but he was fine. He just scared himself. But I think he scared me more. Suffice it to say I rocked him to sleep, trying not to cry, and tonight we're converting to a toddler bed.

Holy crapola people. Seriously? Almost had a heart attack. And of course felt REALLY guilty for losing my patience earlier. But I think he forgives me.

Sigh.

Here's today's quote from my "Women's Wit" daily calendar:

"You have to remember the value of your individuality; that you have something different to offer that no one else can."
--the words of the very wise, and bootylicious, Jennifer Lopez