This is what making decisions is like?!?!?!

Oh goodness! I write to you with a torn and terrified heart. Ok, so obviously that's intentionally really overdramatic, but I am a bit preturbed.

So, as you know, my daughter's two. And two's the time when they need to start being allowed to learn some decision making skills, right? SMALL decisions, but nonetheless decisions.

This morning, I allowed my big girl to pick an outfit. Seemingly easy choice. And I made it even easier by picking two out of her closet, setting them in front of her and saying, "Zoe, which outfit would you like to wear today?" I wasn't about to venture out by bringing her to her closet and letting her choose from her entire wardrobe. I may be nuts at times, but not that nuts! No, no....two simple ensembles. One, a pink shirt and a pair of pink/white striped capris with flowers and butterflies on them. The other, a white shirt and multicolored capris.

So, here's the conversation that takes place:

Mommy: "Zoe, which would you like to wear today?"

Clock: Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock....

Mommy: "Which one?"

Zoe: Finger moves from one outfit to the other indecisively. "Dis one!" Points to the multicolored and white shirt.

Mommy: "Good choice...ok, let's get dressed."

Zoe: "No....dis one" Now points to the pink set.

Mommy: "Are you sure? You want the pink one?"

Zoe: "Yes"

Mommy: "OK, then let's get dressed."

Zoe: Whines as she sees me putting the other set away. "No, dis one"

Mommy: Feeling extremely irritated - I mean slightly irritated at this point. "Zoe, don't whine...you need to choose one and only one. Which one do you want?" Now decides to just have her choose between the two shirts b/c they will both go with both pants.

Zoe: "The white shirt".

Mommy: Throws pink shirt behind her out of view and moves on to the pants. "Ok, which pants do you want to wear with the white shirt?"

Zoe: "The pink pants."

Mommy: "Great choice!"

Zoe: Whines again as she sees me get up to put the others away. "No, the uder (other) pants".

Mommy: Blood pressure rising now but keeping calm (although my voice now changes to a stern one). "Zoe, listen. You can wear one pair of pants and one shirt. Decide right now which one you want to wear." Breathe, mama, breathe! Deep breath in, deep breath out.

Clock: Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock....

Mommy: "Zoe, this is not a hard decision. Just pick one." Voice sounding a bit irritated now, I'm sure.

Zoe: Slowly moves, not one, but two fingers to.....drum roll please.....both. One finger on each pair. Are you kidding me??

Mommy: "Zoe, you can't wear two pairs of pants. I will pick one for you if you do not choose ONE pair of pants in three seconds. What you choose is what you will get. Three....two....

Zoe: "Dis one". Points to the multicolored.

Mommy: Promptly gets up and hangs the pink pair back up as she hears Zoe screaming and whining in the background, "No, the uder ones, the uder ones!" Blood boiling now. "Zoe, we're getting dressed now. I'm sorry that you chose the pants that you didn't want to wear, but this is what you're going to wear today."

Please, people, tell me it gets easier. Please tell me making choices that will one day be much harder than choosing between a pair of pink pants and multicolored pants will be easier than what I experienced today!