Hi, My name is Ashleigh and I have a two-year-old

Yesterday Ryan and I went to Haymount UMC here in Fayetteville. We've been going there occasionally since we moved back. I think I have mentioned before how much Ryan loves church. He truly enjoys it. He stands and holds a hymnal by himself and holds the bulletin up as if he's reading it along with the congregation. He loves all parts of the service; the music, the acolytes, the preacher... all of it. Yesterday, when it was time to go up to the front with the rest of the kids for children's time, Ryan had to walk by the piano. (I'm sure you can see where this is going.) As he was walking by, he decided to play a little tune. A two-note tune nonetheless, but it didn't go with the "Jesus Loves Me" piece the organist was playing at the time. Everyone laughed, the preacher thanked him for his "gift" and I just smiled. I am the mother of a 2-year-old.

The changing table I had for Ryan is a beautiful white bulky piece of furniture. Very functional, but big. It won't fit in the baby's room. So I sold it yesterday on craigslist and I purchased a smaller, simpler changing table that will fit in the space I have allotted for it. The people who purchased the table were a young family, about like Brett and me I would guess, and they had an 11 month old son. They brought him with them to pick it up. As Brett and the dad were loading the changing table into their SUV, the Mom and I stood on the porch with our sons and talked about mommy stuff. Ryan's appearance reflected his activities yesterday. His face was filthy from dinner, he had on only a shirt and underwear, no shoes and skinned up knees from where he fell in the back yard. He looked like... well, he looked rough. In my defense, they came right at bath time. Anyway, as this mother and I were talking about mommy stuff, Ryan looks down and proceeds to pee right then and there. Not just a little bit, but A LOT, soaking his underwear, running down his legs and creating a pool of pee on the porch. I looked at the other mom and smiled. I am the mother of a [potty training] 2-year-old.

Later on, after we said goodbye to the bulky changing table, it was bath time. Ryan wasn't interested and the timer idea wasn't working. He was tired, lacked a nap and very irritated with Brett and me for asking him to take his clothes off so he could get in the tub. After 30 minutes, a trip to time out for slapping Brett in the face and a power struggle on the bathroom floor, I put him in the bath tub WITH HIS CLOTHES ON. (Now is when I REALLY wish we had this on video or in pictures.) Still, as he was standing in the tub with the water running, he refused to allow us to take off his clothes. So I said, "Ok, tilt your head back so I can wash your hair." He did without argument. (His fuss wasn't about taking a bath, it was about taking off his clothes.) I poured the cup of water over his head and it ran down his neck, soaking the back of his shirt and the rear of his shorts. Apparently the feeling wasn't pleasurable since he asked us to take off his clothes then. Last night I didn't smile, I was tired. But today, I smile. I am the mother of a 2-year-old.

Between all the outbursts, "embarrassing" events in public, and the sometimes out of control times, I get hugs, kisses, requests to "kiss it and make it better" and "help me Mama!", cuddles in the morning & at night, smiles, laughs, belly rubs for his little brother, lots of play time and unconditional love. I smile because I'm the mother of a 2-year-old.