Super Leo!

I hope I'm not jinxing anything but I feel fairly confident in saying that the terrible twos are finally over for Leo.

Oh, you thought that the terrible twos applied to kids who were two years old? Hahahahahahahaha.

In Leo's case, the terrible twos started around age two (remember the "goalie" phase?) and seem to
have wrapped up around four and a half.

I haven't written too much on the blog about the rough times with Leo because really, who wants to read that? But if I can sum it up, he's been defiant, stressed out, overly fearful, tantrum-ridden, prone to boo-boos (I once counted sixty in a day), angry, whiny and abusive. I'm sure I'm leaving out some other unflattering qualities but you get the picture.

I know taking kids places isn't easy for anyone but with Leo, I can assure you it was worse than most. I liken it to pushing a grocery cart with a bad wheel. You can't get anywhere without a struggle and everything takes longer.

So that's enough of the bad stuff. Here's the good stuff: Since Leo has been four and a half, he's been so much easier. We put him on a strict discipline program and we think that that, coupled with his age, has helped.

He hasn't had a big tantrum since then. Sure, he's gotten upset and even had what I would describe as "outbursts" but nothing like he used to. I have not been assaulted in the process. (And yes, I was before.) He still exaggerates boo boos but we're down to like two-five per day and sometimes they're even legitimate! He's also more brave than he used to be. He'll climb on anything at the playground, play in the indoor contraptions at fast-food places and he LOVES jumping in bounce houses! (The last one is HUGE!) He also listens better and most of the time responds with "okay, mommy" when I ask him to do something or stop doing something.

In general, he just seems happier and more comfortable. Here's another one of my awesome analogies: He seems like a kid who has had some reactive food taken out of his diet. You know like when kids are misbehaving and they take out gluten or dairy? That's how Leo acts.  It seems like something has been taken out of him. (Or maybe he was possessed? My thanks to whoever performed the exorcism!)

He's also becoming more independent:

He was still sleeping in a Pull-up (and filling it up every night too!) until a few weeks ago. Cousin Ellie came to visit and they slept in the same room. When they got ready for bed Leo was putting on his Pull-up and three-year-old Ellie wasn't! That didn't bother Leo and even though a bunch of moms told me it shouldn't bother me either, it did. I know every kid is different but to me, when you are almost five, it's time to give up the Pull-up. So we did it and I've only had to change the sheets a few times.  We wake him up to go the bathroom right before we go to bed because he does not get up himself. He is so out of it when we come in, sometimes he lays down on the bathroom floor and tries to go back to sleep!

The other thing he does that is SO helpful to me is that he can buckle himself into his car seat. He used to do the top buckles but not the bottom ones but now he does them all! It sounds like a small thing but it saves me a lot of time and trouble.

You already saw his cool "to do" list. That really helps the mornings to go smoothly.

Oh, and he's eating better! He finishes his lunch at school and tries new things at home. Just the other day, he ate steak!

Now, if you don't really know Leo, you might not realize that all of these things are big accomplishments. So as you read them just assume he was doing the exact opposite of that before. Like in the food category, he used to only eat mac and cheese and a short list of other foods. So for him to eat steak is incredible!

Is he an angel? Not at all! But now he's just doing typical four and a half year old stuff which I can handle. And since he's easier to take places, we've signed him up for a soccer team for the spring.

Don't worry that his quirks are gone: he still has tics. His current one is where he takes his fingers up to his cheeks and says, "Ding ding ding ding." It's odd but perhaps not as odd as his aversion to "little things" like Polo shirt logos. Nobody, not us, not his preschool teachers or his psychologist, can figure this one out. I like to say "there has never been a documented case of this."

So if you want to see our new and improved Leo, you are welcome to come visit. Just do NOT wear a Polo shirt.