I know why they nickname this stage "the terrible twos." My little Richie has been so easy-going and easy to take care of since he was born. He was happy as a baby and slept well. He has even now taken to potty-training very well. He has so many wonderful qualities and makes me laugh all the time.

But boy is he a little stinker! I remember getting so frustrated with Wally during this stage of life, and it has now really settled in that it is not the child, it is the age. The other day, Wally came to tell me that Richie had locked himself in the bathroom and couldn't get out because the doorknob was all soapy. Perfect. So I got a butter knife and unlocked the door and found soap all over him, the countertop, and all over his head. I stuck his head under the bathtub faucet and rinsed off his head amidst screaming and yelling and lots of kicking. He remembered it well enough to tell Scott about it that night. "Mommy got water on my head and me cried and cried. Waaaaaa," as he put his hands on his eyes. He is a good actor. I am hoping it was traumatic enough to make him not do it again. We'll see.

He also is consistently doing things I tell him not to do as he looks at me and smiles. He loves getting a reaction out of me until he gets a reaction. Then he cries (and continues to fake-cry long after the real cry ends) and tells me how I hurt him and how I made him sad and now he is "crying."

He loves little Russell, but he can be too rough with him and I am constantly getting after him. "Get your feet away from the baby's face!!" "I told you that you can't feed the baby anything! Only mommy!" "Don't hit the baby on the head! That hurts!" "Why did you take Russell's toy?" "Get off the baby! You can't sit on him!" Each one of these comments is followed by a smile but nothing else until I stomp towards him. Then he quickly stops hitting or gets off the baby or runs away and drops the toy. It is often frustrating to raise this child. He thinks it's funny to get my attention and just laughs when he does something wrong. He reminds me so much of Zach that it's unreal. Scott and I talk about it all the time, about how much Zach has prepared us for Richie. One thing about it is Russell is going to be pretty tough, if he survives.

Richie idolizes Wally and often just follows him around and repeats whatever he says. Wally: "Mommy, I want a snack." Richie: "Mommy, me want a snack." Mom: "Then go get one." Wally: "I want you to make me a sandwich." Richie: "Me want you to make me a sandwich." Mom: "Not right now." Wally: "Aawww. Please, mom?" Richie: "Aawww. Please, mom?" Seriously, it goes on and on and on. It's pretty stinking adorable. Richie has given me the same problem every other two-year-old I have raised has given me. Frustration and anger and ready to just beat the child and then laughing my head off the next minute. I know I give mixed signals all the time, but sometimes I can't help it. He is a stinker, but he is a smart one and he truly makes me laugh all the time. He insists lately on being called, Richie Richie instead of just Richie. He really is a wonderful boy and always wants to help, and he loves to sing and laugh and dance. His dancing is truly hilarious. So, terrible twos? Yes. Terrific twos? Yes. All within ten seconds of each other. Nothing else is like motherhood.