Your Love is Like A Rollercoaster, Baby, Baby

As Anthony approaches his second birthday, we're moving into that tricky period where his language skills are taking off and he really, really thinks he's telling us stuff, but most of the time we can't understand a word he's saying.

Except car. We KNOW you see a car, OK Anthony? We get it.

Anyway, as someone who has lived the past almost decade talking and talking and talking but having the most important person in her life apparently not understand the language in which she is speaking (yes, Brandon and I celebrate our 10th anniversary this summer!) I understand the little fella's frustration.

However, it does make for a rollercoaster lifestyle, where sometimes Anthony is tons of fun and I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have a toddler on hand, and sometimes (cough-this morning-cough) I almost get a speeding ticket heading to the daycare because the car isn't big enough to contain the combined noise of his whining, my shushing and the crappy morning radio show I turned up loud enough to drown it all out.

For example:

We took Anthony to Miami Metro Zoo yesterday, and you would've thought that petting zoo was a pit of angry vipers the way he protested the FUN opportunity to pet a goat and a pig (for the record, I don't really like touching stinky animals either, I just don't get it, but we weren't at the zoo for MY benefit, if you know what I mean.)

Look how desparately he's twisting his little body to get away in the third picture, poor kid, despite Brandon's valiant attempts to make it clear that it's FUN! to touch the goat. Which, of course, Anthony figured out once he actually let himself.

Notice how he's clutching his book the whole time. We drive 30 miles and shell out 30 bucks for the zoo and all the kid wants to do is read the book we gave him on the way there. Fine, have it your way:

But, like I said, difficult one moment, adorable the next. Once mom and dad managed a sleight-of-hand removal of the book and we moved on to some animals that were behind glass, Anthony was a little more comfortable checking things out, and I think even he would admit those meercats are kinda cool:

When the animals are behind a fence, it was even worth beckoning mom and dad to come take a second look:And inanimate animals? The best yet! Once again, I happen to agree with Anthony on this one (not YOU, Javier!), but still, 30 bucks to sit on a stone camel statue?

Rollercoaster Anthony (when he turns 3 do I get to buy a cheesy shirt that says I Survived Rollercoaster Anthony? Or at least one of those pictures where my eyes are closed and I'm screaming and clutching the handlebars for dear life?) continued outside the zoo, where one minute he's happy to oblige his mama some photos in a cute sweater...

... and then the next he's pitching a fit because he spotted his potty and wanted to get outof the bath and play with it before I was done with his nightly scrub-down and daycare de-lousing.

Set these pictures to a toddler's high-pitched screech of "potty, potty, potty" and you'll have some idea of the fun that was to be had. Seriously, would you LOOK at that face in the third picture...Hell hath no fury like a toddler scorned.

Don't worry, all's well that ends well.

And hey, if he likes the potty that much....well, here's hoping.

OK, maybe not. But at least we've got a foot in the door!