Why is my toddler the way she is?

I cringe at all the posts of babies where moms refer to them as “sweet, gentle, delicate angels.”

Because mine is a wrecking ball.

I try my best to plan fun, sometimes educational activities for her throughout the week. Today was story time at the library. We’d been once before and she did really well! Was fairly quiet, played well with others, etc. G & I took her today & I’m glad he was with because he wouldn’t have believed it or fully grasped unless he saw it first hand. We go into the room & she just takes off – running around the whole thing, trying to stick her fingers in light sockets, etc. Story time begins and instead of sitting in my lap quietly like all of the other boys & girls, she wants to keep running & terrorizing other kids. Try to calm her with her water, she doesn’t want it so I try to put it back in my bag, but oh wait, she doesn’t want to drink it but she wants the cup. That leads to a melt down. G holds her, she’s ok, then she wants me, but IT’S A TRICK, she only wants me because I’m not as strong & she can break free & run! This leads to a chase & another meltdown. & the cycle continued from there.

It was the longest 20 minutes of my life.

Time: 45 minutes (prep + cooking) | Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 4 small beets, scrubbed + ends cut off
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed + drained
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup of frozen corn
• 1 cup of quinoa, cooked
• Juice of 1 lime
• Cilantro, for serving
• Avocado, for serving
• 2 tbsp. of olive oil
• 1 tsp. of cumin
• 1 tsp. of chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. of smoked paprika
• S+P, to taste

How to:

• Preheat oven to 400
• Place each beet on its own lil piece of aluminum foil
• Drizzle each with some of 1 tbsp. of olive oil + S+P
• Wrap them up in their foil, but not too tightly, place on a baking sheet + roast for 25-30 minutes
• Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil
• Add onion + S+P, cook for 3-4 minutes
• Add tomatoes + S+P, cook another 4-5 minutes or until they start to blister a bit
• Add black beans + corn + cumin + chili powder + smoked paprika + S+P, cook another 3-4 minutes
• Turn off heat + add in half of the lime juice
• Once beets are roasted + cooled slightly, peel + chop
• To serve, add some quinoa to a bowl + top with beets + bean mix + avocado + cilantro + remaining lime
  Invite friends over for dinner + when you serve them this say, “oh you thought we were having beeF burrito bowls???? My b”