Owtside

Often you are the picture of sweetness like when you are curled up in your comforter singing the alphabet song in your still-sleepy morning voice, asking for more “kicken” at dinnertime, wanting to try on every sock that comes back from the laundry, and your hearty toddler laughter bouncing off the walls of our home. Then of course there are your classic two year old moments which are certainly not so sweet.

The weather is warm and sunny, a perfect morning to play outside. “Matty love, do you want to go play outside?” I ask.

“Yeah owtside!” you answer excitedly. Then you dump out a bucket of play food all over the kitchen floor. Again.

I read somewhere that toddlers making a mess is supposed to be educational, that it your way of discovering the world around you. I wonder what you are learning at this moment as you walk out of the kitchen, stepping on plastic potato chips and felt tomatoes.

“Matthew, please pick up your play food and then we can go outside to play."

“No!” you shout, making a mockery of your own two year oldness, and then climb on top of your art table and start taking down the drawing hung above it and throwing them on the floor.

“Clean up, clean Up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody do your share,” I warble. You start playing with a couple of matchbox trucks.

“Owtside,” you remind me after I have finished serenading the prince of mess making.

“Not until you clean up your toys,” I stand my ground and then snatch your trucks away, “You can have these back once you have cleaned up your mess.”

You pull out all the stops and exaggerate a frowny face before dissolving into tears. So I start tossing the play food into the bucket, mad at you. After watching me for a couple seconds you start pitching in and even smile when I catch your eye. There is never a dull mood around here with you.
“Thank you,” I give you the trucks back, “Now do you want to go outside and play?"

“No!” you answer, plopping down on the floor to play with your trucks.