IT'S GOTTA BE HARD TO BE A 2 YEAR OLD

So, things have been sporadically a little on the rough side in the Adamson-John household as Dakotah learns the art of the (DARE I SAY IT) ......whispering....................tantrum......UGG! i SAID IT!.......well, I calls em as I sees em!!! Anyhew, we have been experiencing hitting, crying, demanding and downright uncharachteristic behavior....well, shall I say uncharacteristic for him thus far but (as everything I have been told and have read) NOT uncharacteristic for a 2 year old. So, to the point now....D and I went to the mall today to have a little outing and get a few things for our trip this weekend. My friend Jessie and her daughter met us for lunch and everything was going just great. After lunch we went to the little arcade that they have by the food cart. There are a few games there that D played once and he wanted to go back. I regret ever taking him in there because it's loud and franatic and it drives me crazy.......We made it kind of quick and I told D that it was time to pick his prize...he immediately began crying as if I told him he had to leave and never ever ever come back (I'm sure that's what it feels like to a 2 year old)...he got a prize from the nice young man behind the counter....not little tiny snakes like before but a carton with two airplanes in it. Before I knew it, D smacked me with the package....I told him (as always) that "we don't hit" and before I could get the "gentle touches please" out, he was hitting me repeatedly....We all walked out and I walked into a little hallway right outside the arcade where D proceeded to lay on his back on the floor, baseball hat over his head crying his eyes out....."I WANNA DO THE GAME"....there was no "talking" him through this one, no acknowledging that "It's hard to leave, but we can come back"....blah blah! All I could do was squat next to him and make sure he didn't crack his head on the concrete floor. Finally he started to sit up so I picked him up and started to put him in his stroller so we could leave......and BLAM!!! hit, hit, hit....Jessie's little 8 month old started crying and I felt like I was going to cry........DAMN!! this motherhood stuff is emotional! I was feeling bad for him, I was embarrassed, I was feeling bad that the baby was upset, I was feeling inadequate, I just wanted to get outta the food court...finally Jessie just helped get the stroller out and I carried D as he set his little head on my shoulder at which point I was sure that EVERY person sitting in the food court was looking at me wondering what the hell>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
So we get out to the car and D is upset that his little friend has to leave, he was crying, nose all snotty, looking at me like MOM DO SOMETHING and he turns around and waves, crying his eyes out and saying BYE BYE.....we went to the car and he plops in his car seat and says MILK....I rested my cheek on his and kissed him and said "Mama loves you baby"...he looked at me so quietly, big blue eyes staring into mine and I SAID TO MY SELF THIS TOO SHALL PASS......................I was driving home, feeling kind of sorry for myself for having some rough days....when I look up and see a truck flipped over on it's top, front end smashed and surely the driver went to the hospital and I thought "WELL, I GUESS MY DAY AIN'T GOIN' SO BAD"...there is something to say for PERSPECTIVE....