pulling out from under the twos...

There's a lot going on in my life right now and I feel like I'm juggling a precarious amount of responsibilities, obligations, and emotions.

But truly one of the most difficult of all is getting through Naomi's twos.

She is an adorable toddler, if I do say so myself. Her fluffiness is delicious and her curls and eyes stop people in the street. She is never more than two steps behind her older siblings and not much gets past her.

And, over the past few months, her transition into self-independence has been incredible. She can express her feelings, desires, and dislikes and she makes her needs known.

Her needs are very well known.

Naomi has developed and refined the little sister shriek.

As well as it's less potent cousin, the whine.

Witness Exhibit A:

She has also developed this knack of getting. into. EVERYTHING.

Somehow, this wasn't an issue with Tali and Samuel.

With this third child, we suddenly have scribbles on our walls and pen marks on our furniture.

(I think it's also appropriate to mention that as I write this post, Naomi is stamping my belly with a flower stamp, ooops, and now my cheek and neck, but she is occupied for a mere moment, so I'm choosing to ignore this.)

Last evening, things were a little too quiet for a moment, so I went upstairs and found she'd done some exploring in my work case.

A little while ago, I went to a meeting, and opened up my notebook (in front of a client) to this (granted, it looks like she had some help):

Though I've repeatedly tried to keep my desk off limits to the kids, sometimes I get visitors.

This is the Sunday paper, only about five minutes after bringing it in the house this morning. Oh well, who really needed that other half of the front page section describing the financial crisis in painful detail?

I have more patience with this all consuming toddlerhoodness this time around, and it certainly helps that not only does she not have a younger sibling, but also I truly know that she will outgrow it (the fact that I can say that Talia is now easy is proof!).

So in the meantime, I'm trying to lower my cleanliness standards, I may get a lock for my desk, and am reminding myself daily that allowing her to skip her nap is never, ever, ever a good idea even if it seems so at the time. Oh, and silence may seem golden for a moment, but really it means that there will be an unpleasant surprise of some sort awaiting me in the next room.

But if the next time you see me, I have flower stamps all over my neck, I'd really appreciate it if you could just discreetly let me know. You know, so that I can save face.