Testing our Limits

This week Addison has been testing her limits. Up until now, No meant no and she pretty much obeyed the first time. We trained her at meals that she is not allowed to throw food a few months ago. Well here lately she is doing it again. It started with dangling her food over the edge and smiling and then pulling her hand back over her tray. And then since that didn't produce many results, she started dropping food again. Yesterday she threw it, I came over and got down to her level and popped her hand, explained that she wasn't allowed to do that. She threw it again! And the cycle went on for a couple of times. The funniest thing though is that when it "falls" out of her hand and she is holding it out she makes this big surprised face like she isn't meaning to do it! I haven't been fooled. :)

I was sitting on the couch on my lap top and my cell phone was right beside and she grabbed it and started to run. I brought her back to the same spot and had her put it back. Then she was grabbed it, I popped, and she did it a few times and then she kept reaching until she was almost touching it and pulling her hand back because she knew she was going to get in trouble and was crying because it was everything she could do to leave it alone and obey and I said, "Addison Grace, I am not changing my mind and you can not touch it". So she got so upset and walked over to her chair and sat down and put her head down and pouted. Seriously?? Do 14 month old babies know how to go off and pout? I started laughing! Probably not the best thing but sometimes I just can't help it. I'm going to have to get better at it though. When I am punishing her, I squat down to look her in the eye and explain about her behavior and stuff like that. I give her my "serious" face and half the time she starts laughing at me. So I have to discreetly turn my head and smile and try not to laugh! haha

Really it hasn't been too frustrating because I am used to handing out lots of No-Nos everyday. It is annoying when she says "No, No" as she picks up something she isn't supposed to have because she knows it's a No. Or when she brings me things I've told her not to touch. (And yes, she brings me my cell phone at least a couple times a day!) But, the most frustrating thing this week is that Addison has turned into a little Tasmanian Devil. She finds great joy in emptying drawers and toy baskets. And getting ready in my room has become this biggest chore. She goes to the night stand, I say no and started picking things up and by the time I stand up she is in the bathroom and has all the cabinets opened and before I know it the box of tampons and pantie liners are EVERYWHERE! Along with everything else. And so I clean up that and she has run off to something else. haha It's probably very funny to watch, not so funny to deal with.