Add walking and climbing to that and welcome to my house lol. Aubrie is walking everywhere and is about to climb out of her crib and playpen...... They are growing so fast!

I have one tip for you (right now LOL) - NO AUDIENCE for the tantrums... walk away but keep an ear out for injury. It happened once to my oldest. She was told to stay out of the garbage (I know bad mom!! lol) and she threw herself to the floor.... but it was tile, not carpet this time. It was the last tantrum from her. The second child was more stubborn. It took many tantrums to get the idea that no one was there to see them.... but it did work eventually. They do it because they are mad and want to get you to go AHHH poor baby. No audience and they learn a different way to get positive attention from you. Good luck... E is so smart she will figure out that you won't give audience to such behavior :-)

I'm in awe of your coupon-fu. I remember years when I had a really limited income and three little mouths to feed. Coupons were not so easy to come by then. I couldn't afford the subscriptions to the publications where they were found. But I did scour the free grocery ad supplements that were left in the laundromat or other public places and made a menu and grocery list for the week based on sales.

Nutritious? Probably not! But I managed to feed, house, clothe, transport, and entertain 4 people on less than $1000/mo. And I'm ever so thankful I don't have to do that now.

Tips On Raising A Toddler To Adulthood:
1. Learn to enjoy the tantrums. They will happen and if you can laugh (inwardly) at the child while intervening only to prevent injury, they will end sooner. Also, see #6.

2. Move dangerous items and things you value out of reach of the toddler. Leave some non-dangerous items resembling the "grown-up" valued things within reach in a limited space, but put them off-limits and begin training the toddler not to touch. Time outs are a wonderful thing, but you will be tested. Learn to be firm and enjoy being tested. Each new test means your child is learning something.

3. Clean up toys once a day just before the bedtime routine. At first you will help the toddler do it and they will gradually learn to help you... until finally they will do it to gain your approval. Make it a game and have fun. Tokens work well when they are old enough to understand the concept of earning something.

This takes more organizational work on your part than you might think at first because all their toys have to be stored in such a way that they can put them up easily. It's a good time to start teaching categorization too -- all the blocks go in this basket, the stuffed animals in that one, books on the shelf, etc.

4. Allow them to screw up your system sometimes. When they learn enough to want to put a book about monkeys beside the stuffed monkey, let them do it and congratulate them for figuring out they "match".

5. Discipline and teach, but save punishment (time out) for one thing at a time. Start off with "don't touch" so that you can more easily keep them safe from hazards. Designate a word not commonly used that you can teach them to mean "stop right there and don't move" for use when they head for the street or try to wander off into a crowd. "Halt" is a pretty good one, but don't be surprised if a few nearby adults also obey you then give you really strange looks.

6. Try to keep a straight face when disciplining a charming and amusing misbehavior. This can be very difficult, but it is better to leave the room and ignore the behavior than it is to reinforce it.

7. Never underestimate the intelligence of your child, but also don't expect more of them than they are capable of. This is a very fine line to walk and you will err... just try not to do it too often.

8. You already know all these things instinctively but it helps to have them listed and put into concrete terms. All these things are goals for the parents more than for the child. Do not punish yourself or your child by setting strict time limits on reaching any of them. But if there is a noticeable lack of progress over time in any area, it's time to re-evaluate the goal, the method, or the capability of the child.

For example, the screaming fit type of temper tantrum should turn into stubborn lack of cooperation by age 2 and pouting minor stubbornness by age 3. There will be a brief respite around age 9 when your child will be a delightfully cooperative joy. Treasure this short time.

9. At ages 13 to 17, the screaming temper tantrum may return and be augmented by an enhanced vocabulary and dramatic physical displays designed to punish you, the parent. You must learn to laugh at and enjoy this behavior also, while keeping a tight grip on the car keys.

10. Sometime between ages 18 and 20, they will start calling you for advice. Be kind and offer the best you can, though it may be a repeat of something you've been telling them since they were 12. It may be difficult to recognize that they are putting your advice to good use. Patience is required.

11. Two to ten years later, you will likely get the reward conversation. This is the one where your child thanks you for not being like the parents of their friends or spouses. Bask in the glow and treat yourself to an expensive bottle of wine. You've earned it.

12. Your child calls and moans that her sweet little cuddly infant has become a toddler. See #1.