Raising a Sour Patch Kid

   First they’re sour, then they’re sweet. Whoever came up with that slogan had toddlers. I mean one minute they are rotten as can be and they hate the world, then the next minute they are cuddled up in your lap, loving on you. I speak from experience. My little sour patch kid turned two years old today

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     You know, I would really like to know who came up with the term “terrible twos”, because are one year olds really that good?  If you have a good one year old, then that’s a blessing for you; but in my experience, “terrible twos” started way too early.

   
      Go through this scenario with me. You’re standing in the foyer after church, and all of the sudden the lights go out. What is your first thought? Well, if you have a child, it’s usually a prayer of “please don’t be my kid”. Then the lights come back on and there’s your toddler, standing in the chair next to the light switch…..and the fire alarm. Now you run, run very fast because those little hands are quick as lightning.

   
     Now, if you’ve never had this happen to you, well la-de-da, aren’t you just perfect? No, I’m just kidding. Sort of. But yes, this did happen … at a meeting on deputation. Talk about embarrassing. Don’t worry, folks, my husband made it to her before she pulled the fire alarm, and she was dealt with. Hopefully to the point of never touching a light switch or even a fire alarm again, but she is two now, so we’ll see what happens.

     I’m sure you’re wondering, though, why I call her my sour patch kid, because so far there is no sweetness. Well, a couple of nights ago we were in the van traveling to the next stop, and it was night, but she hadn’t fallen asleep yet. So, like all good moms I gave her a cookie to help her settle down. Don’t judge me. So then she started asking me to hold her hand, and to do so is possible in the van, but painful after about thirty seconds, so I said “no”.  Then the sour came out and she asked over, and over, and over again. I’m sitting there thinking, “I just gave you a cookie at 10:00 at night. Be happy, kid”.  This whole time she had not taken a bite of that cookie. Then she finally switches from “hold hand?” to “Pray? Pray? Pray? Pray?”.  Now, at first I thought she was still trying to get me to hold her hand because we hold hands when we pray, but who am I to tell my kid “no, we are not going to pray for that cookie”?  So, I took her hand, and we prayed.  Then came the sweet. She gave me the most adorable “Thank You” and proceeded to eat her cookie. Lesson learned.

     People tell me that three is even worse than two. I sure hope not, because I think we’d be going from sour patch kid to warhead. What about you? Do you have a sour patch kid, and at what age do they become just a plain old jolly rancher?