Let's talk a while

That is Eva's new favorite thing to do. She will plop down next to me, lean towards me, look me in the eye and say "Let's talk a while." It is very adorable, and enjoyable. So, we talk. I have learned all kinds of things I did not know. Most importantly, I am learning how the world looks through Eva's eyes. She is amazing.

Eva has been acting very two-year-old this past week and weekend. She wants to tell us "No" whenever we tell her something. She won't come. She hits when she's mad. She cries when she doesn't get her way. As a result of all of that, she is living in time-out. I have to say, though, that it is working. Her behavior improves and she doesn't do the same thing the next day. For example, on Saturday, it was telling us "No." After going to time out half a dozen times for that one, she stopped. Then on Sunday she was hitting. After time out, she stops. So, it does work, it's just a never ending challenge. She tests constantly to see if we mean what we say. David and I are just concentrating on being consistent. We're trusting the rest to work itself out. We keep telling ourselves that it's better to deal with it now when time out works, then when she's a teenager. I know that it's age appropriate behavior, but that doesn't mean that I think it's acceptable behavior. She's doing well though, and actually I think the discipline is helping her. She was having some difficulties dealing with the change in daycare and going to preschool now--she was getting very clingy and upset with me about it. I think she has been testing us to see if it is the same at home as it always has been, you know, "Does a change in one part of my life mean that everything has changed?". I am noticing her being a lot more calm about going now and not clinging any more.