From Gnome to Caveboy

Last Year's Vine Tee-Pee

Last year, I showed Francesca a photo of Julian sitting inside the vine house and said, "Oh my goodness, girls!  There was a gnome in our garden!  Look!"  They looked at the photo and Francesca couldn't believe it.  A real gnome in the garden.  She would say out of the blue, days later, "Mom, I can't believe there was a real gnome in our garden!"  Her little sister finally broke the news that it was in fact her brother, and even then, it was difficult to convince her that it wasn't a gnome.

He really did look like a gnome, though.  Look!  His ears even appear pointy!

Julian, the garden gnome, last year, inside the viney tee-pee.

Due to his lively two-ness, Julian recently transcended gnome-dome and graduated to cave-boy status.  I read on some gooby yahoo mommy advice on how to deal with toddler tantrums that toddlers are "not so much like little children as little cavemen. They're uncivilized.  They wipe their face on your shirt, they pee anywhere.  Therefore, we should talk to them in short phrases, use repetition and mirror 1/3 of their emotion."

I tried this approach and it looked like this: (As I wave my fists in the air) "I know!  You're mad, mad, mad!  You want to ride the tractor right now!  But mommy has to move the pipe first, then tractor ride after."  (Repeat, repeat, repeat.)  It worked.  But I can't say that I have the energy to "mirror" his energetic emotion all day long.  Its exhausting.  My calm approach will just have to suffice.  But in the back of my mind is that Saturday Night Live skit of "Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer," and I know that this is exactly what I have on my hands.  

Julian, an adorable, almost 3 year old little caveboy!