This weekend we went out to the ranch after Thanksgiving. One night Eamonn had trouble going to sleep, so I had to return to his room and sing a few songs while I absentmindedly stroked his hair.
All at once he took out his binky and said, emphatically:
"NO Mama! Don't touch Eamonn's head - there's a MACHINE in there."
I went downstairs and asked his grandmother (DeeDee), "Mom, did you tell Eamonn there's a machine in his head?" Sure enough, they had been out hiking and my mother explained something to Eamonn - and as she watched him process it she said "I can see the wheels turning" - he looked back at her quizzically - and apparently translated that into there being a machine in his head. Of course!
"NO Mama! Don't touch Eamonn's head - there's a MACHINE in there."
Adorable.
Jekyll and Hyde
So he's finally hit what the Sears' would call a "negative phase." Meaning: Eamonn's realized he has a will independent of a grown-up's, and he exercises it at every opportunity. He is physically incapable of using the word "yes" - and it's kinda funny....exasperating....but still amusing. It's amazing to me that in the span of five minutes he can go from absolutely adorable and happy, to on the floor on all fours and just sooooooo upset.
We spend a fair amount of time discussing emotions and feelings now. I try to emphasize how his actions affect others and getting him to recognize his reactions to those effects. This results in some amusing conversations with a two and a half year old. Case in point:
Last week DeeDee bravely watched both Ava and Eamonn at the same time. They played well together until I pulled up - whereby they both started tugging on the swing. Eamonn fell to the ground and hyper-reacted because it was naptime. When it came time to say goodbye I asked him to say goodbye to Ava and he said:
"No, Mama, Eamonn can't say goodbye to Ava right now because Eamonn's saaaaaad."
!
On the way home in the car I asked him if he was feeling OK.
Eamonn: "No - I'm still sad."
When I asked why, he explained that it was because he thought it was his turn to use the swing and Ava wanted it, too. So I explained that they are both young and both still learning to share with other people, and that Ava did not mean to hurt his feelings. This prompted:
"What are feelings and how do they hurt?"
So then I launched into happy feelings and sad feelings and my usual "be considerate of others" speech.
Silence.
A few minutes later I started to cough (we've all been sick for over a week now). Eamonn said:
"Mama, we need to go home and get you a lozenge. Then you'll FEEL better."
We spend a fair amount of time discussing emotions and feelings now. I try to emphasize how his actions affect others and getting him to recognize his reactions to those effects. This results in some amusing conversations with a two and a half year old. Case in point:
Last week DeeDee bravely watched both Ava and Eamonn at the same time. They played well together until I pulled up - whereby they both started tugging on the swing. Eamonn fell to the ground and hyper-reacted because it was naptime. When it came time to say goodbye I asked him to say goodbye to Ava and he said:
"No, Mama, Eamonn can't say goodbye to Ava right now because Eamonn's saaaaaad."
!
On the way home in the car I asked him if he was feeling OK.
Eamonn: "No - I'm still sad."
When I asked why, he explained that it was because he thought it was his turn to use the swing and Ava wanted it, too. So I explained that they are both young and both still learning to share with other people, and that Ava did not mean to hurt his feelings. This prompted:
"What are feelings and how do they hurt?"
So then I launched into happy feelings and sad feelings and my usual "be considerate of others" speech.
Silence.
A few minutes later I started to cough (we've all been sick for over a week now). Eamonn said:
"Mama, we need to go home and get you a lozenge. Then you'll FEEL better."
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