Family + Kids

Two, Now

by erin |

Two is a sudden burst of verbal growth, stringing together sentences like, “Mom! Put down that poop and give me a huuuuuug.” It’s a continuation of hoarding, blocks and snacks and stuffed animals, everything, all at once and right this moment, please and thank you. It’s a newfound love for broccoli and an insistence that she loves tomatoes, even when she spits them out every.single.time.

It’s sunshine and thunderstorms – highs and lows, laughter and tears – with the rainbow showing up each night at bedtime when she asks to play Pat-a-Cake and look for owl holes in the rustic headboard, slowly, quietly – wheels turning, soul filling. It’s markers on the windows, crayon scribbles on the table, granola between the couch cushions. It’s, “Mama? Play iPad cuppa more minutes please? Just a cuppa minutes. Promise.” It’s manufactured phone conversations with neighbors, organizing her own play dates for the week ahead.

Two is skinned knees and smelly sneakers (just my kid?) and finding 800 different ways to explain obedience, or more accurately, lack thereof. It’s pounding down the hallway, the slapslapslap of dirty, bare feet. It’s sweaty, curly tendrils above the ears. It’s flushed cheeks, high-pitched squeals. Crocodile tears.

It’s “faster, faster!” and “louder, louder!” and “higher, higher!” It’s growing pains and hide-and-seek and “I want it” and “I don’t want it” and “I’m sorry” and “Kiss it, Mama” and “Now!” and “Later” and “Yes, yes, always yes” and “I love you, too.”

Two is mischievously, feverishly, exhaustively divine.

  • Erin, reading your thoughts on parenting at different stages makes me so deliciously excited to experience these stages with my little guy (he’s 7 months now). You have such a beautiful way with words. xox

    • oh thank you, lesley – you’re so kind. and ohhhhh seven months!! what a sweet age! for me, it’s only gone up and up and up… love this parenting gig. :)

  • OMG Erin, I could write a novel! No, Bee isn’t the only one with smelly sneakers/sandals. Forrest calls the iPad “Loud-loud” (because grandpa always has the volume on his up loud-loud) and he’ll play for hours if I let him. Cue adorable request to play, and crocodile tears when it’s time to put it away. We also have the want it/don’t want it/want it/NO MAMA MINE! moments, and the sweaty little grubby arms around my neck, and the discipline (oh, the discipline! how to discipline without squashing the spirit and the play and the exploration and the fun!). Seriously, I’m livin’ the life with you, honey, and wouldn’t have any sweaty, loud, glorious moment of it any other way.

  • LOVE this! It so beautifully captures the spirit of my little two-year-old as well. Thank you for putting into words what I could not. Love your writing.

  • New reader here! I have a just-turned-2-a-week-ago daughter and a 2 month old daughter and this explains the older perfectly. Right down to the smelly feet. Ohh and the (dis)obedience. Yeah such an exhaustively fun stage!! :)

    • Ha – I just LOVE it!! :) And goodness, you’re in the thick of the juggle, aren’t you? Wishing you good naps and warm meals!

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