Anyway, my sweet, precious little girls are alternately loving me up in a way I've never known and experimenting with various forms of tantrum-throwing. Belly likes to give some serious squeezes these days. She'll look me straight in the eye with a small smile on her face and then go in for a gigantic hug. She'll hold me super tight and rock back and forth - then withdraw a little to smile at me again and go in for another. It so melts me. Belly also has been practicing throwing herself down on the floor in full sob if she doesn't get her way. She had four of these tantrums last Friday alone. 

Not to be outdone in either department, the Bug is definitely holding her own. She's doling out big kisses - complete with MWAH! sound effect - on a regular basis. She'll gladly give them when asked for a kiss, but she's also been smothering me in them whenever the fancy strikes her. She's even been running up to me, smooching away, then darting off in a fit of giggles. More than the drop-and-sob approach to tantrums that Belly is perfecting, the Bug has been focused on the stomp-and-whine technique. It's almost like she's running in place as she starts to whine and cry about whatever perceived injustice she's suffering (e.g. not getting to help with cooking, not receiving the first bite of yogurt, not getting to rip the book out of her sister's hands that she really wants to read that very moment).

The love is abundant and the tantrums are frustrating. And they can very easily be within moments of each other. It's mighty impressive to see the girls turn the charm both on and off so quickly. Oddly enough, I feel like I'm handling this much better than I would've expected (given my short temper when there is biting involved). Maybe it's because I understand that tantrums stem from frustration and there are SO many times I wish I could throw my own big tantrum. Or maybe it's because they are so dang lovey-dovey the other times that it's easier to roll with the craptasticness of their tantrums. Or maybe today was just a good day (even though the Bug did pull some 14-month-old's hair at playtime and her sister's in the shower this evening) and I feel optimistic about things. Whatever it is - I'll gladly take tantrums combined with this outpouring of love than tantrums a la carte!