18 to 36 months

So, I have to admit that there is an age that is my favorite age. Not a favorite age for me personally but in my children and others'. It's from about18 months to about 3 yrs old. It's during that time that they're learning so much verbally and they end up saying the cutest, most unexpected things and I just want to eat them up.

It's all about to end. In one month my 2 yr old turns three. Don't get me wrong, all of my children are very cute and they still say cute things but it's during that particular time that they learn all those words that at the age of 7 they still say wrong. Emma still says "bemember" and Aiden still says "renember" and it's all from being 2 yrs old. I love hearing Izzy's scratchy little voice say, "Yer da best, mom!" It was at two that Emma still said, "I wanna fatch(watch) a mooee(movie)." She also said,"Mommy, fwah" all the time and it took me forever to realize that it meant, "Mommy, look" or "Mommy, watch"... It was also at two that Aiden did his well known "funny man" which means he holds his hands out, fingers spread, teeth showing and shakes, on purpose. He would do it on command. He also loved food and even though he really wanted candy he found that grandma would be more inclined to deliver if he simply asked for a snack... "Just one," he'd say. How can you resist that? Just one, that's all! Then it transformed to, "Just two." One was definitely not enough! It's at that age that they say, "I wanna hold you." They don't really want to hold ME, I'm sure! It's also at the age of two that they like watching the same movie over and over and over for an entire month! (Or at least an entire week!)

Let's take Ella Metcalf as an example. At two it was, and maybe still is, the most meaningful thoughtful and caring thing to have one's tears wiped away. Whenever she was balling she would beg for a tissue to wipe away her tears. And to show how important it was to her, when Izzy would cry, Ella would run to the bathroom and come back with a tissue and wipe her tears. Isn't that what anyone would do? It was at that cute age that she called me "Gin" and Izzy's name went from "Eesee" to "Eesabeyel"(There's a Texan accent in there). It was also the same age that half way into watching a movie with the Metcalfs someone would notice that Ella was sitting quietly at the end of the hallway. She needed not make a peep, knowing she was still awake was sufficient for her.

Ya know, it's at two that they decide what they want to be when they grow up. They're filled with aspirations of the future. I remember when Aiden said he wanted to be a mermaid and a fire truck. And just last month Izzy decided that she wanted to be a snowman when she grew up.

I know so much lies ahead, but oh, what a time we had. Now we move on to the days of homework and bike rides and sleep overs. We work on saying "something" instead of "sumping." And they realize, "Maybe I don't want to be a snowman when I grow up."