I've had fun lately finding ways to keep those little hands busy and productive. He loves to pour water into a container and play with toy fish/boats. Also, I got him a bug catcher kit which has about 50 toy bugs that (for mama's sake, are colorful and totally playful looking rather than brown and realistic.) He loves to go on a bug hunt and it's a great activity for when I'm getting dressed to go out. I'll scatter the bugs around on the floor and ask him to go pick them up and put them in the little insect holder. He gets right to work on that, and I can quickly apply my make up/ do my hair. Unless you're a mom of a toddler, that will sound pathetic but if you are a mom of a toddler, you'll know exactly what I mean. It's either the bug game or playing in the toilet/pulling out unnecessary drawers in the bathroom at my feet. :)
He just LOVVVESS all his little buddies and our cook out system of letting the kids burn off energy on the playset then come in and eat dinner at the kids table works quite well. It is so cute to hear him request to see certain friends now, or to recognize them by name when we bump into them around town. He's got 10-15 little buddies around his age that we rotate playdates and get togethers with. There's a set of girl twins and those playdates are especially cute, as he is so taken with how they are "double" in looks and in fun. We had a great time catching up with my growing up friend, who now lives in Singapore but was in town for a few days. Timmy grabbed Ford's hand and they did ring around the rosey together. Timmy had the galloping part down, and Ford had the falling down part mastered. Wish I had caught that on video, but sadly I didn't.
Timothy turned 2 in February! TWO!! When I'm around big kids, that seems so young. When I'm around newborns and young babies, that seems so old. Whatever it is, I am loving it and just can't get enough of his little hugs, giggle, voice, sense of discovery and endless curiosity. It amazes me what all he understands about his little world, and it so motivates me to be the best mommy I can! I've been doing some reflection on motherhood and turning 30 (which is approaching for me this Summer)....and I found this quote I'd like to share. Not quite sure what she means by "blur" in the first sentence, but I'm imagining she is referring to the 24/7 nature of it, the sometimes long tiring days and overall busyness of being a mom....anyway, here it is:
“Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did - that everything involving our children was painful in some way. The emotions, whether they were joy, sorrow, love or pride, were so deep and sharp that in the end they left you raw, exposed and yes, in pain. The human heart was not designed to beat outside the human body and yet, each child represented just that - a parent's heart bared, beating forever outside its chest.” - by Debra Ginsberg
(At first I thought her use of the word pain was a little strong, but I know what she means...being a Mommy means your heart is tugged in so many different directions.....we by nature feel a strong need to protect and guide them, and the thrill we feel when they learn something new or the sadness we feel when they are upset, overwhelmed, or get hurt.... it IS sharp and deep, and does leave you raw and exposed.... it gives you more empathy for other people, adults and children/ various problems and situations going on in our world....it affects how you react to things and determines the choices you make. I love how she says that a child is a parent's heart, beating forever outside of its chest. And sometimes I even feel that strong heart beat when I interact with the kids of close friends of mine. I just feel that longing to nurture, guide, protect, and lead by example! Another quote along those lines is copied and pasted below:)
Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do. ~Author Unknown
And one more:
Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn't know you had, and dealing with fears you didn't know existed. ~Linda Wooten
I found myself pondering a similar thought recently and then came across that quote which reaffirmed what I was feeling. Isn't it so true that there are just some things that come up--that require an enormous amount of patience, energy, creativity or perhaps a season of less sleep, less "you time", less money, or less support/encouragement and without skipping a beat, you just DO IT! God gives you the strength and you didn't even know you had. And yes, the fears--those come up too. Things you never even thought about, but then again....your world was so different before becoming a parent!
There's one more quote that I couldn't find at the writing of this post, but that I read recently....it was to the effect of how this is the only job in the world where the more work you put in, the more likely you're eventually no longer needed. Whereas a job in the real world, the more you produce, the more valuable you are to the organization! .... So true! Putting our all into raising confident, secure, independent kids will eventually cause them to be self-reliant and fully functioning without us. That stage is a long way off and I'm grateful that God designs it in such a way that there are very gradual seasons of pulling away. From every 3 hour feedings to every 5 hour, from nursing to sippy cup, from shortened pre school hours to regular elementary hours, needing help with homework to tackling it themselves, highschool and college graduations, marriage and so forth. Granted, our kids will always need us. But, not with the level of intensity as they do now.
Woah--much longer tangent than I expected. (If you're still with me, sorry!!)
On a much lighter note, Timothy is TWO now. Even though he has always been a talker, it really is true that right when they turn 2 there's another explosion of language. And also memory, and understanding. Seriously, I have to watch which streets we drive down now because if I'm within 2 or 3 blocks from the yogurt place, or the swimming pool, or his grandparents house, he will want to go there and ask to be let out of the car.
Here are some little concepts he has been verbalizing lately, and it's so cute cause now it's turning into little conversations he has initiates by himself sometimes.
When trying to find a particular toy: "Mommy, I lost it. Gotta find it....(disappears and goes looking then returns...) Here it is! I found it!"
When he drops something: "Uh oh! What happened? I dropped it!"
When Mommy or Daddy is in another room: "Moooommy? Whatcha doin in there?"
During story time, he narrates what the pictures reflect...like: "That horse is eating. That lamb is sleeping. Choo choo train is going fast!"
Random things: Rain Rain, Go Away! I wanna go to the beach! See ya tomorrow! Come here, Mommy. I show you. I wanna snuggle with Mommy! On your mark, get set, go! Giddy-up. I wanna get on the boat! Daddy's comin' home soon! "Take Daddy's car to the car wash! Uh oh, made a mess. I don't want to, I'm scared! I like it! Let's do it again! I missed you! There's airplanes in the sky! I want lunch. I'm realllly hungry. Happy Day Day! (for his birthday and whenever we go to other friends' birthday parties) Here comes the marching band! (from one of his favorite shows)
Before a playdate: Gotta wait on Jack! He's comin!
During playdates: Slide down, I catch you! Let's have a race! Oh no, baby's cryin! Gotta share my snack! Let's clean up now!
If we ask him if he wants something in particular to eat, or to go somewhere: "Yeah!! I do!!"
While sitting on the potty: "Hold onnnn! It's comin!"
While trying to change a diaper: "No! I wanna go sit on the potty!" (Which we frequently do, but he's only comfortable going number 1...number 2 is going to be a challenge!)
While blowing bubbles: "2,3,4,5,6,7,8!!" (He won't count randomly if you ask him too but he'll do this for bubbles or when counting pieces in a game or puzzle.)
Favorite songs/nursery rhymes he sings: Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star. How I wonder what you are. Humpty Dumpty--he's fallin'! (that's his version, haha) Mary Mary, Little Lamb ...SNOW! (loves to take a few shortcuts on that one..lol)
While sitting in his highchair, waiting on his food to be presented to him: "I'm ready! I need my mac n cheese (or whatever food)! I need my water! I need applejuice!
Me: Hey Timmy, where did Charlie go? (his friend that lives out of town)
Timmy's answer: He's hiding!!
A few funny (depending on how you look at it) things that have happened lately. We'll just some them up as "2 year old happenings":
Me to Timmy: Timmy, did you toot?
His response: No, Elmo tooted! (Pointing to Elmo.) Promise I'm not making this up, how could I?
Me to Tim (with Timmy standing near by)... What is this? (as I hold up an object that doesn't look familiar off the countertop but that needs to belong somewhere or be thrown away)... Timmy's response: "It's Nilda's!!" (our housekeeper, who, at that point in time hadn't been by in about 2 weeks....so random!)
Me, going outside for 2 seconds to switch out the wreath on the front door..... getting locked out and saying through the window, Timmy--turn the key!! He disappears to the other room, comes back with my purse on his shoulder and tries using my car keys to unlock it. Poor thing, he was trying! He kept saying, Mommy come inside!! Luckily he wasn't too scared and Tim was able to come home soon after, to let me in.
Me, letting him play upstairs in his room for a bit while I was downstairs getting dinner ready/keeping an eye on him on the baby monitor. It gets real quiet suddenly and so I go upstairs to check on him... He's standing in the corner, wiping POOP on his face. As Tim described it, it looked like "tribal paint" the way it was little finger smears all over his cheeks. Ahhh!! Messy, messy---he went straight into the bath and luckily this hasn't happened again! Yuck!
Me, saying it's time to go to bed. My little negotiator's response: "No, I watch TV or I need more stories!"
And last but not least, to fully be caught up on February and March, here are a few photos from Timothy's birthday party. Construction/dump truck theme! It was so fun! (And easy clean up, since we didn't have it at our house this year.) Timothy loved blowing out his candles and now whenever he sees a candle lit, he thinks it's for him and wants to blow it out.
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