Although I've certainly found his occasional temper tantrums challenging and his fervent desire to "do it" himself has made getting out of the house a half-hour long trial, the "terrible twos" really haven't been so terrible. In fact, they are filled with delightful developments and milestones. We can see Jack's big personality developing, along with his growing curiosity and vocabulary. Here are a few examples of the fun side of two:
1) Watching the Birds
During breakfast, Jack loves to move his highchair in front of the dining room window where we've installed a bird feeder. He eats breakfast (after insisting on climbing into the chair himself, buckling himself up, and putting on his own bib) and points out all the animals -- his favorite is when he sees the bunnies ("munnies") or the chipmunk, but he can also name several of the birds: he knows cardinals, blackbirds, chickadees and robins. I'm trying to teach him that the brown birds are sparrows, but he keeps calling them "peet-sohs". He is eager to share his love of bird-watching, especially with the cats. His breakfast is frequently coupled with narration ("I watch the birds") or demands ("Tucker, Riley, watch the birds!"). Last week we bought him a "Birds of Michigan" pamphlet from National Geographic, so he can expand his bird-watching horizons.
2) Rehearsing Adult Roles
Jack loves to pretend that he is doing adult things, so when I'm making dinner, he inevitably empties my baking drawer by moving all the contents onto the coffee table. He sets up the mixer, lines up bowls, uses spoons and whisks and mutters to himself: "I cooking."
Recently he has also started playing doctor (shortly following his two-year checkup with Dr. Josh). So he insists that his patient lie down on the couch and he listens to our hearts, looks (forcefully) in our ears and eyes, takes the temperature of our elbows and gives us a shot. ("You need shot. Poke, poke, poke.") The shot is his favorite part of the exam, and he's quite thorough and creative about where he gives them -- on the head, on the belly, in the arm, on the foot -- where ever he thinks it is needed. Yesterday, after he gave me a shot in the arm and I said "Ouch!", he bent over and gave my arm a kiss. Isn't that sweet?
3) Memorizing Books and Songs
Now, as we read "Goodnight Moon" or "Sheep in a Jeep", Jack frequently anticipates the words. For example, he always says, "A COW jumpin' over da MOON!" and he points out the "ol' lay-dee" in "Goodnight Moon". He also says, "Uh oh!" and cheers in just the right spots in "Sheep in a Jeep".
He does the same with songs and nursery rhymes, often mumbling his way through them, but fiercely determined to sing along.
In church last Sunday, he insisted on holding his own hymnal open in front of him during all the songs. He also didn't hesitate to sing the parts he knew: Amen, Gloria, etc. A choir member came up to us after church to comment on how cute he was holding his own song book and singing. He has music in his soul, she says.
Every day there's something new and fun that he learns or does or attempts. I can honestly say that two-years-old is not only challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. I just need to remember this feeling the next time he's kicking and screaming on the floor. ;)
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