The Traveling Tantrum

Babies crack me up. Well, TODDLERS--especially since Thing Four turned 21 months two days ago. He's starting in on the "Twos" early, I am convinced.

He's not one to throw temper tantrums per se, he doesn't rock back and scream and kick, but he does lay on the floor and...drumroll please...HUM.

When he doesn't get his way, he cries big tears. THEN, he lays on the floor and hums. No joke. Not a happy song, but he cries with his mouth closed: "HMMM HMMM HMMM...HMMM HMMM HMMM...in increments of three. It is quite funny.

ANYWAY, this morning, I got him out of bed at 6:30, and he wanted to "watch Toy Story." He's watched Toy Story every day this week. He watched it every day last week. He wanted to hold his Buzz Lightyear action figure and sit on the floor and watch Toy Story. At six in the morning.

I told him not yet, he needed to eat breakfast first. He gave me the "unhappy-I'm-about-to-cry" face, and I said "Not yet, sweetie. We need to eat nummies."

The kids had already eaten and were upstairs brushing their teeth and getting dressed, and he looked at me and said, in a VERY demanding voice: "I want to watch TOY STORY!"

I looked at him, and said "No."

Then came the big tears. He's mastered the art of crying like his heart is broken, very well. I folded my arms, and looked at him. So he pulled out the Hum Tantrum. He layed on the floor and started his Humming.

So, I got up and left him lying there, and went into my room. What's funny is, he stopped imediately, as soon as he realized he didn't have an audience. I heard him get up, crawl up the four steps to my room, and he saw me sitting on my bed, looking at him. SO, he walked into my room, dropped down on the floor and started...Humming. Right where he'd left off.

I couldn't resist. I left my room, and went into the kitchen, where Hubby was getting himself breakfast. I poured myself a glass of orange juice and lo and behold, Thing Four came toddling down the stairs, layed himself down on the floor, and resumed humming.

I had to laugh at this point. He REALLY wanted me to pay some attention to him. I picked him up and gave him breakfast. Needless to say, we won't be watching Toy Story until later.

To Infinity...and Beyond!!!