This is it! This is the last time I will ever have a two year old. It is hard to believe yet she is going out with a bang. These are trying days! Long days! Tiring Days!
My littlest girl is two years old I can’t say that I love this age but it is fun to watch you learn something new every day. I love the excitement in your eyes when you master a new skill. You love to say “watch mommy.” I love hearing you say new words and watching you communicate with your big brothers and sisters.
I love your hugs, those you give me and those you share with others. I love your kisses. I love that when you wake up in the morning, the first thing I hear is your little voice calling, “Mommy? Mommy, come in my room! over and over until I get you out of bed. I love that when I call your name you yell “yes?”
What do I want to remember about you being two? Everything! I don’t want to forget anything, but I know I will so I am going to try hard to record it all hear so that when we look back I will say “ Oh yeah, I do remember that.”
When we put you to bed we sing songs that we never sang with the others:
Clean Hands Dirty Hands
Jesus loves me me me (Jesus loves the Little Ones Like Me)
Disciples Song
You love to touch tongues with mommy. You love swimming!
You are so so so very verbal! Your sweet voice can get you in a lot of trouble! You have started telling people “I not like you (them)” which is a very mean thing to say to people.
You crack us up because you have given everyone a nickname and we answer to them:
Jacob or Jakie
Juddy Buddy
Anna Ka-tee
Sadie Boo
Daddy Bug
Momma Lady
You finally have favorite books: Piggie Pie Po and Moose Tracks
You enjoy cooking for daddy: “Whatcha like, sir?”
I must admit: some days it feels like it will never end. The fit throwing, screaming, crying for no reason. Can’t go to a decent restaurant because she may decide (more than likely) that she doesn’t want to sit in her chair and eat, she would really like a tour of the restaurant. Difficult to run to the mall or in a store because she doesn’t like strollers or liked to be held throughout stores. Grocery shopping is just a neverending blur of “OUT! I want to hold you, Mommy!” But here’s the thing. I know someday it will end. I’ve seen it happen four times previous.
And I will forget what it was like to have a two year old around.
Two year olds are into EVERYTHING. They will go through your cabinets, and throw things from counters. They put band-aids on EVERYTHING. They need Band-Aids for everything. They grab pens and write on walls. They pick up books and rip pages. They grab a handful of toilet paper and then take a walk through the house. Every time you turn around, they have something they shouldn’t have. Except every once in awhile, when they climb in a box and think it’s the best thing ever and it keeps them entertained for a full minute. That’s a miracle moment.
Two year olds love to learn things. They devour books and have been known to sit quietly and look through books for, literally, minutes. This is after you have been cleaning up after lunch and your heart drops because it’s so quiet and you just know the entire living room has become a two year old’s canvas. But then you discover that, no, it was books. Books (or a Kindle) were keeping the two year old happy! And you do a happy dance yourself, because there is really nothing sweeter than a two year old’s voice singing “Farmer in the DALE” while reading the same book.
Two year olds are the cutest things you will ever encounter. They will point out newfound discoveries. And it’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard. And you will swear this is the smartest two year old you’ve ever been around, but it’s really because you can’t remember your other kids ever being two…because you were to busy having other babies! Or they really are geniuses which will come in handy later. Then they will look at you and put their chubby little hands on your face and giggle, and you will think to yourself: THIS is the cutest age ever. And quite possibly it is.
Especially when you lay them down in their crib and you know very soon-oh so very soon you will no longer lay this last baby down in her crib. You will not sing before bedtime. And they give you a thousand kisses and want you to keep rocking but eventually you lay them down and tell them good night. And as they are lying there in crib, you realize that two year olds are the most frustrating beings on the planet, but they are so deliciously sweet too. And you know that they don’t actually kill you, they will eventually grow up, and walls will be clean and books will be in one piece and things that get put on counters will stay on counters.
I’m trying hard to capture what it’s like to have a two year old. I never want to forget how exhausting it can be, yet rewarding at the same time. Caroline Joy is a true blessing to our family. Each day may not be filled with joy, but I can’t imagine our family without this spunky surprise!
