A few days ago, my daughter was particularly energetic. Jumping off the furniture. Spinning in circles. Standing just out of arms reach and proposing an invitation to “Catch me!” In the midst of all this activity, I jokingly said, “You’re a mess!”
She stopped, looked me dead in the eye, put up two little fingers, and stated, “I’m two!”
And she’s right. We are smack-dab in the middle of living with a two-year-old and all that it encompasses. But, contrary to the popular phrase, I don’t find this time “terrible.” I can find some other “T’s” to describe this time with my girl.
1. Teachable Two’s
Animal sounds. Colors. Numbers. Letters. Of course, we have the usual round-up of information. But our girl is a sponge. With her watchful eye, she has learned to dribble a basketball, lick her finger to turn a page and take pictures with her own little camera.
But she is not the only one being taught.
My husband and I are learning to be more patient. We have learned that her little eyes are always watching so we are more intentional with our actions. She teaches us to go with the flow, and we teach her that structure isn’t such a bad thing.
2. Talkative Two’s
Language has exploded this year. We are repeatedly shocked by the things coming out of her mouth. I can’t tell you how many times I have looked at my husband and asked, “Did you teach her that?” If she is awake, she is talking. If she is not talking, she is singing. But there is a constant stream of words in our household.
If I’m honest, I love it. I love the stories about her friends at daycare and the two-year-old rendition of the “Three Little Pigs.” I melt when I hear random a “I love you” come from the back seat.
3. Transformative Two’s
The baby face is no longer. We have a little girl that will proudly wear her twirly dress while jumping into a mud puddle. She is a ball of emotions trying to figure out how to be a human. She is her own little person wrapped up in constant energy that surprises us daily.
We are watching this little girl transform into a beautiful, kind, imaginative, spicy, and hilarious individual. And, as her parents, we are transforming into people that are watching their hearts walking around outside of themselves.
So, while our two-year-old can be exhausting at times, she is worth every single moment, and it’s anything but terrible.
