The Evolution of Toddler Tornadoes

Why do toddlers and preschooler have so much energy?

I mean if I was designing things I would give super energy to mothers in their 20s and 30s who have to deal with a husband, multiple kids, a job, a house to take care of, etc...

I look at my 3.5 year old running circles around our kitchen island in the morning. As he slows down I encourage him to run some more (I know it's mean but hey that's the only way I get to have my tea). I keep wishing I could just harness some of that energy for me. Somehow balance things out so that he has less and I have more... and then my mind wandered....

... and I thought: maybe there is an evolutionary advantage to having hyperactive toddlers. Maybe the only toddlers that would survive would be those that were active enough to keep up with the moving tribe on their little legs. I know Espen sometimes wishes that Kitten would stop jumping everywhere and I can easily imagine 100,000 years ago Cave Espen trying to leave Cave Kitten behind. Even as Kitten's mother I have to admit that sometimes I have moments where I also wish I could leave him behind (fleeting moments but still).

But of course this Cave Kitten could definitely outrun and outlast all of our Cave family: he definitely is my Energizer Baby :-)

Fortune Cookies for Mothers

As I was putting Kitten to bed while nursing Muffin last night, I was thinking about fortune cookies (don't ask me why). You know the ones with the universal truths which are applicable to pretty much anyone (yes yes the ones which become a whole lot funnier if you add "in bed" at the end of them). Well I was thinking that someone could make some specially designed for mothers since I know that mothers experience some of the same things regardless of where they come from.

Here is an example:

"You will feel inadequate"
"You will wonder why you can't figure out why your child is crying hysterically"
"You will wonder whether you could have done things better today"
"...whether you could have given your kids more attention"
"...whether you could have raised your voice less often"
"...whether you have scarred them for life"
"...whether they will end up being mass murderers and blame it all on you"

As for the last one we all know that we will get blamed (well hopefully not by mass murderers). That's because no matter how hard we try we cannot perfectly meet everyone's needs at all times simply because this is impossible. Such as when you are reading your preschooler a bedtime story and your infant keeps unlatching from your boob and screaming bloody murder. It is simply impossible to meet the needs of both kids at the same time in that situation so you end up sticking your youngest's face in your boob (he misses the nipple and thus latches on with the strongest suck you can ever imagine on another part of your boob causing you to scream out in pain), you then fumble and close the book, losing the page you were reading so your oldest then screams out in indignation because he can no longer "see the story" (like he hasn't memorized each image of the book since this is the 468th time you have read this story in the past week!). So basically you end up with 2 frustrated kids and feeling completely inadequate and guilty... in bed ;-)

Maybe one day you will find a grandmother fortune cookie which will tell you:
"You will find peace with all your parenting flaws because you will see your children going through the exact same things. It's called LIFE." I wish all of us that wisdom, I just have a feeling it does take a lifetime to get there.