2.25

Dear Nugget,

You are 2 and 1/4 years old.  You are simultaneously bright sunbeam and stormy raincloud, gentle lamb and aggressive lion.  Although you test my patience daily, you are also teaching me to accept our common humanity, to seek not perfection but unconditional love.  I love you fully, not despite the challenges you present but through those challenges.

Top 10 Things I love about 2.25:

10.  You narrate each day, each action.  "I going down steps now!"  "Red car coming fast!"  "I ride bike to church!"  You end each sentence in proud exclamation.

9.  You spontaneously count to 10, usually omitting the 5, then declare, "I counting, Mommy!"

8.  Your favorite place to read a story is nestled my lap.  I can't get more than a page without nuzzling your soft curls or planting a kiss on your cheek.

7.  I can often find you paging through books on your own, you whispering several words on each page.

6.  Your clarion call, "I DO IT!"  Yes, you can do it, from opening doors, to zipping coats, to choosing a spoon, pouring your milk, strapping on your shoes, and washing your hands.  Your list of abilities and accomplishments grows daily.  

5.  You are always ready with a hug.  You have just started to use your arms, whereas before you just leaned in with your head tilted sweetly.

4.  You can seriously play fetch with Shamrock now, with little to no assistance.  What a great way to tire you both out...errm, I mean, what fantastic exercise for you both!

3.  You have a sense of humor.  You especially love to play peekaboo when I pretend to look for you in silly places, like in a drawer or under my coffee mug.

2.  Your imagination is taking flight.  You pretend to be brachiosaurus chomping trees (broccoli) and you puff and chug your train belt all the way around your belt loop "tunnels".

1.  You can recount an event accurately from memory.  I love to hear your summary of the farm, trick-or-treating, or a recent outing to the park.  It's also fantastic that you can re-cap your weekdays for Daddy or your latest great adventure for the grandparents over the phone.

Top 10 Challenges of 2.25:

10.  "I DO IT!"  Yes, that was on the other list too.  While I adore your constant battles for independence, there are times when I really wish I could step in, or I do and am met with hysterics.   For instance, I am standing outside in the bitter cold and wind while you insist on buckling yourself into the car seat.  While I applaud your effort, your fingers actually aren't strong enough to do it yet without at least a finger from mom.  Last night, you locked yourself in the entryway, because you wouldn't let Daddy help you open the inner door.  Yet you were crying from exhaustion and frustration while you yelled, "NO Daddy, I DO IT!"

9.  You now understand ownership is 9/10 of the law, and by gum, you are going to protect your possessions with whatever force necessary.  And by "your", I am also including toys that don't technically belong to you, but that you claimed by picking them up first.  Or thinking about them first.  Dibs!

8.  Shrill screams, less often than this summer, thankfully.  But now you let them loose at very strategic times, such as the consecration at Mass, or during storytime at the library.

7.  You have figured out "gentle hands" for the Doggie, but you are finding ways around that, such as boxing her out like a pro basketball player, gently touching her in the eyeball, or trying to crawl under her belly.

5.  Kicking crawling babies.  Ok, I get you haven't gotten to experience many crawlers since you've become bipedal.  I get that you don't know exactly what to make of them and that you aren't being malicious, just experimental.  But oh my heavens, this particular experiment is most unpleasant.  Perhaps Lil Sib is waiting to come to us until you are past this special phase in your life :)

4.  Pushing your friends.  I swear, we don't let you watch violent TV shows.

3.  Pushing your friends.  I swear, we don't push you or each other.

2.  Pushing your friends.  Is this just a boy thing?

1.  Pushing your friends.  Am very glad that for the moment, they don't seem to hold grudges.