Imagine an animal with a scowl on its face, a curled up lip, a baritone growl and a charge like no other. Are you picturing a wild pig? Maybe a bull? Unfortunately I am describing my sweet (and I use the term very loosely) little two-year-old Samuel.

Samuel’s hit terrible twos and is redefining the phase. We definitely saved the worst for last. That child has mastered the “scowl face and attitude” like neither of my other two.

My precious little rugrat wipes all kisses off with a fury and hollers “No kisses. I don’t like them.” He grabs whatever is within his reach and commands “It’s mine.” When I tell him I love him at bedtime, he scrunches up that little mug and grunts, “No love yous.” As I head out the door with Jacob for game night, he bellows “I go game night now too.”

He is one demanding, give-me temper tantrum after the next. Because he gets no where with Mike or me, he’s begun deploying his temper on his two helpless brothers. Poor Marcus always gives in. The other day when Samuel was unrelentlessly screaming for the toy Marcus had, Marcus finally handed it over and said, “Please take it. Just stop that.” Marcus actually begged his brother to take his toy! When I took the toy back from Samuel and gave it to Marcus, Marcus said, “No Mom. Please let him have it. It’s okay — really.”

Although Jacob rarely gives into Samuel, he always ends up bawling and screaming in despair. He usually ends up running out of his room crying, “Get that baby out of here.”

One day during one of Samuel’s volcanic explosions, I reached over and swatted him on the butt and told him that enough was enough. He turned around with folded arms, stared me down and said, “That makes me angry. Mommy say you’re sorry.”

Thankfully he can be just as cute as he is ornery. He loves to snuggle in my neck. He insists on tucking me in on the sofa with his favorite blanket while we watch TV together. No matter how chocolaty the dessert is, he always insists I share his dessert with him. “Please” and “Thank you soooooo much” are always in endless supply. That smile, the twinkle in his eye, his scowl, his growl…. they all make up the perfect little Samuel.

Until next time,
CMH