A Terrible Toddler Day, and the Sentence That Undid Me

Hi, friends. The other day I had yet another rough afternoon with my youngest. Everything, and I mean everything, was just wrong. On the drive home from daycare he wanted to listen to music and named a song I simply could not understand. In a panic I ran through every song he usually likes, but the right one wasn't in there. What followed: wailing.

At home I unlocked the front door, even though he wanted to ring the bell. The apples I sliced for him were either too small or too big. His beloved fire truck had suddenly vanished into thin air, even though his three siblings and I turned the house upside down like crazy people. More wailing.

There was wailing because he wasn't allowed to take the bus to soccer practice with his brother. There was wailing because I wouldn't let him eat more Mentos (his current obsession). There was wailing because his sister finally got fed up with him emptying out her Playmobil and held her door shut from the inside. The bath didn't have enough bubbles, but later he didn't want to get out anyway. Wailing.

Dinner wasn't to his liking, and he wanted to go back out to the garden even though it was cold and rainy. In short: the whole day was ULTRA exhausting, and the little guy and I really went at it. Luckily we have days like this very rarely, but when we do, it's hard to stay calm and end the day even halfway peacefully.

“Because I love my mommy so much”

So I was extra happy when my husband got home in the evening and it was time to put the little one to bed. I said, “Daddy's putting you to bed tonight.” He wrapped his arms around me and said, “No, you do it!” I asked, “Why??????” He buried his head in my shoulder and said, “Because I love my mommy so much!” And just like that, he had me. Even though the day had been awful. But a freshly bathed two-year-old who tells you he loves you? You're simply powerless.

So a few minutes later, lying in bed next to my little guy, feeling his breathing grow slower and more even while he held my hand, I really thought: when I'm old and wrinkly and think about what happiness meant to me, I'll think of tonight. It may sound corny, but honestly, what in the world could be better than snuggling up to that warm little body while the November wind howls outside, and knowing that this is all that matters?