Reasons My Daughter is Crying

Several months ago, a mommy friend introduced me to Reasons My Son is Crying. It's a hilarious compilation from a dad of all the daily, random reasons why his toddler is having the worst.day.ever. I remember reading it and just about dying from laughter because they were all so silly ("I touched his foot with my foot" or "The milk is in the wrong cup") and they were all accompanied by a picture of his son sobbing.

Oh, it was all so funny then. But this is now. And now this is my life.

Now, in all honesty, Emily does have a pretty valid reason for being cranky these days. She is teething, recovering from a nasty rash as a result her most recent set of vaccination shots and she's taking medications for an ear infection. But, Emily and I have known each other for a year now and I've become accustom to her many and varied cries. I've come to learn the difference between a serious "I don't feel good" wail to "things are not going my way" bloodcurdling scream. The first is usually accompanied by huge tears and a good cuddle or snack does the trick to make things right. The later is suspiciously absent of tears and is often combined with some serious head shaking, throwing herself backwards (usually when I'm hold her) and in rare instances, what I'm pretty sure is an attempt at biting me. Sigh.

Yesterday was full of those meltdowns. From the time I picked her up from daycare to the time I finally gave in at bathtime and asked Randy take over, my daughter cried beacuse:

• She spilled her Cheerios in the car 
• She couldn't play in the fridge
• I moved her away from the hot oven
• I closed the pantry door
• She ate all her green beans
• I turned the page in her book
• Tooth brushing time stopped
• I wouldn't let her drink bath water

I'm beginning to feel like maybe the toddler years aren't going to be all sunshine and giggles.

*M