33 is the best age. Two matching numbers. Lots of experience. Mature, still able to be silly. Learning style and how to dress with aplomb. Has shapely legs to make up for the well nursed bosom. Thoughtful, understanding, and well-intentioned. Figuring out this mothering thing as we go along, figuring it well, most days. Marriage, no longer new, but still exciting–rates high on a 1-10 scale. Honest, yet tactful. Able to confront when necessary. Still a little afraid to approach local celebrities for conversation, but doesn’t let it show. Can befriend total strangers easily, and selflessly. Inventive, creative, and has better follow through than ever. Sold out to God. Truly.
4 is the best age. Four loves to hold hands and snuggle, but doesn’t need to. Loves to pretend–loves to be fairies and build fairy houses. Loves to be a princess and loves to build castles and dungeons. Loves to be volcanoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, rainbows and fog. Loves Loves to laugh. Loves to be tickled. Loves to dance.
Four can pedal, skip, tiptoe, gallop, fly like a butterfly and run like cheetah. Is curious. Is creative and inventive. Is literal and oh so stinkin’ hilarious. Is interested in reading and letters and writing. Four can cross-stitch, color, do puzzles, and pump in the swing. Four is starting to say her l’s and r’s regularly.
When four wants to ‘help’ around the house, she is actually a help. No longer a baby, relish in her independence. Has perfect obedience nearly always, and horrible tantrums are a thing of the past (running out of the room crying notwithstanding). Has amazing sense of style. Four wants to be a window washer and dance on stage with Michael Flatley.
Four is sweet and snuggly and thinks I’m the best mama she’s ever had!
2 is the best age. Two can still take naps in my lap, but rarely naps. Two can forget why she crossed the room because the fifteen things in between here and there caught her eye. Two is potty trained, sleeps through the night, and doesn’t wake up too early.
Two is learning her manners and almost always remembers to ask permission before going outside. Two pretends, but makes sure you know she’s only pretending. Two is rarely afraid, always vivacious and can be awfully loud. Loves to be read to, and learned to read her numbers without my even realizing it. Two can memorize books and “read” them back to me. Two can tell stories with a beginning, a middle and an end.
Two ends up in the corner a lot, but is well tomato staked, so fall down blow out long lasting tantrums are becoming a memory. Two wants to be like her big sister in nearly everything, but is also a great big sister herself.
Two loves to race, jump, teeter totter, slide, cross trippy trap bridges and fly in her swing. Two wants desperately to be able to do it herself, and almost always can. Two still needs her mama, makes me laugh a thousand times a day and is delightful fun to be around.
10 months is the best age. Ten months crawls faster than some children can run. Ten months climbs stepstools and stairs as well as the ladder to the loft. Ten months has no fear.
10 months istens to and obeys “no” and “come”. Can sign “nurse” but only when you’re feeding him ‘real food’. Loves to eat applesauce and cereal. Will go to sleep on his own, and wakes up to nurse in the night, but goes right back to sleep. Sleeps a 12 hour night, with about 3 hours of naps in the day.
Crows exuberantly, hums delightedly, ‘coughs’ on command, and coos himself to sleep. Ten months says, “Mmmmmama!” Ten months cuddles and pats me. Ten months looks at me adoringly, grins brilliantly showing all four teeth, and crawls off to play.