Please come back!!

I'm not sure what happened to my boys. My sweet boys. It seems they are gone and have been replaced with... well... different ones. Will's horns are at full mast. Everything I ask him to do is immediately followed by a "no" then a "because why?" When I tell him either "because I asked you to" or whatever my response is, he usually responds with a "I. don't. want. to. xyz" When I ask him to stop an unfavorable behavior (for example, screeching in his brother's face) he gets said behavior in one last time before he quits. I feel like I'm constantly telling him to "stop" "no" "don't do that honey" and I hate it. This afternoon Will decided to give his brother some attention... And by attention I mean tickling him, and by tickling him I mean poking him repeatedly on the chest. I finally said "ok, that's enough honey" and he decided Dane needed a kiss before he left him. So he proceeds to kiss him on the forehead/eye and as he is pulling away from him, there's a big snot string connecting Will's runny nose and Dane's poor eyelid.

My other little angel - Dane. I think he spoiled me from the get-go because he has been such a wonderful baby. These days he, as my mom accurately put it, needs to either be sleeping or sucking. If he's awake he wants full on attention, and usually holding him is not sufficient. He must be bounced or pacified in some way. He still hasn't figured out how to keep that darn pacifier in his mouth by himself so if I could just grow another arm to devote to keeping it in there my life would be much easier.

All my frustrations are immediately put to rest when I can take a breath and remind myself that this is just part of it and it too, shall pass. I took one of those moments this evening after a day of mayhem when a song I love came on. I was holding Dane (rather, holding the pacifier in his mouth) and Will was in his room. I closed my eyes and focused on the song and went to my happy place. Will rounded the corner, coming out of his room with his loudest truck that POPS with every turn of the wheels. I told him "don't even think about it!" and went back to my happy place.

And then of course when I was putting Will to bed I brought Dane in with us and laid him next to his big brother. I read them a story and Will held Dane's hand the whole time and then kissed him sweetly on the forehead. Those are the moments that make all the madness 150% worth it. So even if my little angels have gone MIA for the moment I know they will be back.