Asserting himself

Cooper is all about asserting himself right now. He has a lot to say about everything. Some times that means he yells, stomps and pouts. He's landing himself in time out a lot more these days, mostly for not listening or for harassing his sister. 

When we put him time out, one of the conditions of leaving is apologizing to the person he hurt. When I tell him to apologize, he defiantly folds him arms across his chest and yells "Not today."

It takes everything in me not to laugh. It's hilarious. He's so serious, so mad and thinks he's going to prevail. Wrong! We normally go back and forth for about 5 to 10 minutes until he realizes he's not getting out of time out until he does what I've told him to do ... and then he's suddenly contrite, loving and full of apologies. It's hard to have patience for these sort of shenanigans. I am looking forward to an older, wiser, less tantrum prone boy ... does that ever happen?

Even though it can be frustrating to deal with, I love this age. Cooper is truly his own person and we're seeing that more and more with each passing day. It's such a treat to watch him develop, change and grow. Every day is an adventure. I'm also so amazed with how different he and Shelby are. Everyone told me they'd be different. But I thought I'd see threads of similarity. But they're not. They are totally their own, unique little people. 

I can't wait to see what life with Cooper as a three-year-old holds ... I'm sure there will be plenty of pouting!