Bipolarity is Normal at This Age?

I've been looking for a job. Between searching, working my part-time job and raising a precocious toddler, I've been feeling a little burnt out. My son continues to wow me everyday. Remember he is two and a half years old. Last week I was putting on my jacket, which says starter. He came up behind me and said "S..T..A..R..T..E..R.. spells jacket." I was definitely impressed with his ability to make that association. He is currently working on learning how to count to 100 by tens. He spent his afternoon today watching his new Thomas the Train movie. I think we watched it eight times today. Everything lately is Thomas. I know that child specialists say these obessions are normal or okay, but they sure are annoying. I have GeoTrax trains in my kitchen, paperback books lined up as a track across my living room, a G scale train set in my sons room (which he wore out the batteries on in about five days) and Thomas movies running almost continuously on the DVD player. Not to mention various other train related toys and books strewn around his room. I do know a reprieve is soon, come summer he will be running mostly naked in the yard, from sun up to sun down (note: that's approach. 19hrs in AK.). He would live, eat and sleep outside if I let him.

He's getting better at being dropped off at day care. Good thing I have a good program to take him to.

Tuesday I had the pleasure of a dumb woman rear-ending me and taking off. I unfortunately didn't get any information. I was more worried that my son was okay. Everything is okay, just a nice large crack in the plastic bumper of my car. Little man didn't even skip a beat in his back seat rambling about everything he could see out the window.

I never fail to be amused by the almost constant narrative about the world outside the car window. I am forewarned of every yellow school bus, moving truck, fire engine, bull dozer, crane and any other construction equipment. Walking through store parking lots brings a description of most of the vehicles we pass by. Walking up and down aisles brings that never ending chain of "What's that?" questions. I mean every item we walk past. Another instance of cute, wonderful, needed and annoying.

That is what I am learning about children of this age, get used to jumping extremes. One minute they are precocious, cute, loving, lovable angels. To be mached the next moment by demanding, moody, spiteful, little devils. Then back to angel, so you cannot actually be upset by any misbehaver. Talk about emotional roller-coaster. I just try to remember to think about what he must be going through, feeling. I remember what is was like to be a teenager, experts say toddler years are similar. The need for independence but the inability to be completely separate from your parents.