Fautly Engineering? Where is the Flip Switch?

I was talking with a friend today and sharing the woes of being the mom to a 2 yr old. And I got thinking. I have been a mom to another 2 yr old, but things were never this intense then! Everything seemed much easier and more relaxed. Is my memory failing me, am I growing senile or is it just different this time around? As I was thinking I figured what was missing. The man up there has played yet another joke on me. There is no flip switch on this model!

My son knew when to tone down and turn off his tantrums. Every thing that seems a struggle now was just the flip of a switch then. When he peed his pants as I struggled with potty training ... all I had to do was switch to pants and warn him repurcussions. Lo Behold potty training sturggles were behind us. Cheeky just does and did things that way, he has a flip switch hidden somewhere. One day he wasnt walking, and the next day he suddenly was. One day he decided to throw away the bottles and switch to sippy cups. And one sweet day he just decided enough was enough and walked away to sleep in his own room. I do not have any claim to fame parenting that kid. He has made parenting a breeze.

Now my little rascal. I have been struggling with bottle weaning for months and months now. I have tried everything, from refusing to give in to throwing the bottle in the trash (only to retrieve it again after all hell broke loose and 3 hrs later we were still standing next to the trash can screaming!). I have tried scary stories of teeth falling off, I have tried compromise (lets switch to water, mickey mouse bottle), bribery, threats and power struggles. Nothing has worked because this model has no flip switch. Instead this model comes equipped with a strong willed mind that locks horns with me just because!!
And dont even get me started about sharing the parental bed. A purple room, wall decals with mickey and tinkerbell,  a crib, a full bed with colorful covers. And just for kicks a spare bed in the parental bedroom. Ask them they will tell you a woeful tale of a toddler who refuses to move!

This toddler has proven time and again she is a little independent Diva. This weekend we took her shopping. Her dad picked out this pretty blue dress for her and she picked out a pink one. When Daddy tried to tell her he really liked the blue dress she told him what he could do with it. "Daddy want it? Here! " (you can have it). "Tootsie want this pink dress, no blue" she says very firmly.

She forgets nothing. A little boy in her school had the misfortune of pushing her one day. And he will never live it down. Every single day she tells me "Nathan pushed me". She has this serious look on her face knotting her eyebrows into a frown. Apparently she uses the same mad face when she tells her teacher too.

Drama queen lives on. She has always been the little drama queen. Nothing in our house takes any thing less than a drama these days. Be it a party, visitors, a trip outside to the park or the backyard, a drive or a stroll. Everything invloves drama, before , after and during the event! When it rains kisses it pours, but catch her in one of her moods and she will scream bloody murder if you as much utter a murmur. And so when we asked her last night, how did Nathan push you? She demonstrated by pushing herself across the room and flipping over and falling! That is the amount of drama we have to deal with.

And there is no flip switch! A 2 year old teenager is what I have folks (Pause for sympathy) . Wish me luck!!