Exercises in Flexibility

Before I became a mother, I knew exactly what kind of mother I would be.  My kids would always hit their proper milestones because I would be firm but fair.  I was sure I was fully equipped to handle this.

Now I know differently.  Motherhood is a giant exercise in learning how to bend, how to go with the flow, how to adapt to circumstance, how to take a win where you can get it.  Big lesson for a control freak like me.

My two year old son's bottle obsession is a perfect example.

I know he should have been off a bottle by one.  He was 90% off a bottle by one...We were down to just a bedtime bottle.  And that bottle was mostly water with enough milk to fool him.  Then Baby Girl came along with a whole collection of bottles.  And Baby Boy backslid right back into wanting a bottle every minute of the day.

Every day since is a battle to get him to drink from a cup.  He hates snippy cups, he loathes big kid cups, he will lower himself to drink from a cup with a straw if there is pop in it.  I have begun to believe Baby Girl will break the habit before he will. 

So today here is where we are at - powerade.  He will drink 'orange pop' from a giant powerade container.  Aside from the obvious spill hazard, I am uncertain of the nutritional line we are walking here.  But it is better than seeing him suck on a milk bottle soooooo....

I am bending.