Technology comes naturally…

Life is full of little moments that you never want to forget.  This is especially true when your life includes a toddler.  So many little moments that you never want to forget.  Today in the life of Riley, we had one such moment that I would like to share.

Imagine if you will, daddy is sitting at his desk doing something on his computer, and Riley reaches up with both arms and says, “Bupupupupup!”  This is Riley speak for, “Up!”  Daddy picks her up and sits her on his lap and continues to try and do what he was working on,  but the only reason that Riley wanted up was to push buttons on the laptop.  Daddy, of course, told her no, and closed the laptop to pay attention to her.

The scene that followed was dominated by a serious temper tantrum performed by Riley, complete with Oscar-worthy tears.  She started crying, and over the last week or so, she has developed this growling cry that she uses whenever she is told no.  The only part of the stereotypical temper tantrum that she has not mastered (as of yet, but I’m sure it’s coming) is the prone position on the floor kicking and flailing her arms.

After a couple of minutes, I took her into the living room where all of her toys are. I had the brilliant (read sarcasm here) idea to distract her with the “laptop” and “tablet” that she got for Christmas.  I started with the tablet. (This picture is from Christmas gift opening, not from today.)  I turned it on, and pressed a button and tried to get her to take it.  Well, she took it, and threw it down on the floor and proceeded to stomp on it.  She was trying to make it stop playing music and blinking lights at her, but each time she stomped it, she hit the button which just made it start the song over. 

The look on her face was priceless throughout this whole tantrum.  It said very clearly to me, “That is not a tablet!  It does not do any of the neat things that your iPad does.  It blinks stupid baby lights and plays some stupid sing-songy thing that is supposed to be music, but it really isn’t! I do not want that baby toy, I want a real tablet!”

Ever the optimist, I tried the laptop next.  Again, I turned it on, and pressed a button to make it start talking to her.  (Again, a picture from a couple of weeks ago, not today.)  The look she gave me was, “why are you trying to make me play with a baby toy? I’m not a baby, and I don’t want to play with baby toys!”

I managed to bit the inside of my lip to keep from laughing at her during this, but it was a close call.  Here my not-quite-19-month-old daughter is already giving me the looks of a teenager who thinks that mom knows nothing!  Oh my word we are in so much trouble when she gets older!

Finally, in order to protect the toys from utter destruction, I pulled out the teapot set she got for Christmas and “poured” us a couple of cups of “tea.”  I drank first, making the appropriate slurping noises that are expected, and the crying stopped.  She took a “drink” and held her cup out for more.  I immediately “poured” us another, and the tea party was in full swing!  Temper tantrum ended, and mommy’s nerves saved for another day!

She will be 19 months old on the 14th, and she already has a very distinct personality.  She is stubborn.  She is smart.  She is beautiful. She is willful. She is, quite simply, amazing, and she only gets more so every day!