Run for my Money

This guy is giving me anxiety these days.  He is a bundle of trouble and is the most stubborn kid I've ever laid eyes on.  (I think my mom would say "just like his mom")

He does nothing he isn't up for - NOTHING.  He rules this house and I often think I'm going to change that, but he always has other ideas.  The hard part about this boy is that he is sooooooo cute, so funny, so full of life and personality, it makes it difficult to follow through with much - and frankly following through doesn't matter at all to this kid.

I have taken on the attitude that I have to pick my battles, or he and I would be going at it all day every day.

This week we went to Target.  We had just gotten these pictures taken, he cried through the whole process (there is a tear below his left eye if you can see it).  He screamed the whole time we were in the car (Whit, maybe he was trying to be like Wren?) and hadn't taken a nap.  You could call him a nightmare - and I did.

Once inside Target he was running around the isles.  Screamed if he was in the cart, I mean - at a certain point I was offering him up to anyone who would have him (not really, but the thought crossed my mind).  He ran into an isle where I couldn't see him.  Jake went running after him and I hear Jake say "Sam, you can't just wander away from us.  You have to stay where we can see you - do you understand?"  At least I've raised a good mom in Jake!

We continued down another isle and I hear Sam quietly saying under his breath, "Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh" over and over again.  He ran to the end of the isle, hopped on a pink tricycle and was off and pedaling.  So excited to have found him a bike!  Jake yelling "Get off, thats a girls tricycle" running after him.

As he turned the corner, and again out of my eye sight I hear him saying again "Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh".  He found a Cars tricycle.  By the time I got around the corner he was speeding right past me and down the main isle at Target.

This kid is fast - and he was finally happy.  So I let him ride the tricycle the whole time we were in the store.  He went up and down about 10 isles.  Speeding, swerving to miss the carts.  Most people laughed as they saw him speed past them.  But I always wonder - are people wondering what kind of mom would let their child be this out of control?  And then I think - live with him for an hour and you'll understand our life choices.  And at this point in my life - Sam is king.

BTW - he so tried to shoplift the tricycle out of the store, and it would have been SO easy.  But I made him leave it between the 2 doors in the exit.  Yes he made it all the way past the first door!

CRAZY KID!  Give me some hope - will he grow out of his need for speed?  His need to cry?  His need to have everything his way?  Please say this is a 2 year old phase - and in 2 short weeks at the stroke of midnight on his 3rd birthday he'll chill out a bit?

All in all - He is crazy - but he's my crazy and I love this little bundle of trouble.