On Being 2

On Being Piper

Piper, my dear daughter, you are one of a kind. You have a personality that’s just full of sugar and spice and is just exploding. One minute you’re loving a doll or stuffed animal and the next, you’re pointing your finger at Dad and me saying, “Lay down,” or “Stop talking,” or “No songs” when we’re singing to you.

You have an opinion on everything and want everything just so. You must have your butterfly dinner plate, pink sippy cup, and pink spoon at every meal. If I ever try to deviate from this, you tell me all about it.

You want so badly to be a big girl. You love to help around the house. This past weekend, we set you loose with a Swiffer duster, and you were in heaven. You love to use the water from your sippy cup and a wipe and pretend to wipe up the table. You want to help buckle yourself into your carseat and get a knife from us to cut your own food.

You love hugs and kisses. You ask us for them about a million times a day. It’s the best feeling in the world when you wrap your arms around my neck for a big hug. However, being a clever little girl, you also ask for hugs and kisses whenever you misbehave because you know Daddy and I can’t resist.

Speaking of misbehaving, while you are good so much of the time, you have definitely been testing your boundaries lately. This includes biting poor Fletch, hitting me everyone once in a while, stealing toys that you want, and refusing to get changed into your PJs. We’ve even had reports that you tried to bully an older boy at daycare. While I’m glad you are strong and can stand up for yourself—if this is 2-years old, I can’t imagine what a firebrand you will be at 15.

You’re so beautiful. You’re bright blue eyes light up your face, and you have such a great smile and laugh. You’re going to break a lot of hearts with that face, my dear.

You’re really getting into pretend play and using your imagination. Favorite games and activities include having a tea party, using a kerchief to fashion yourself a dress, and coloring pictures and telling me they are a cow or a dragon.

You’re still a hand model. Anything that requires fine motor skills or dexterity is easy for you. However, like me, you’re also a bit of a klutz, and you trip a lot. You pretty much always have skinned knees.

You are sayings lots of 2-word sentences and doing some 3 and 4 word sentences too. Most sentences start with “I NEEEEEEEED ___” or “I want it!” or “I don’t want to…"

You sleep really well these days. Bedtime is 7pm and during the week, we wake you at 6:20am. You usually nap for 2-3 hours but sometimes you just need extra Mom and Dad cuddles and wake up early from the nap but will snooze while laying on one of us.

You’ve started remembering things and asking about them. You often ask to go to the playground or to go swimming.

Things you love: Dora, Bubble Guppies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, your Dora purse, tea party set, coloring, meatballs, sweet potato fries, raisins, playgrounds, Fletch.

Things you hate: A lot of veggies, potato salad or anything creamy except ice cream, not being the boss.

On Being Fletch

My sweet Fletch. You’re my cuddle bear. Your personality is also exploding, but in some ways, you’re still the sensitive, sweet soul that you’ve always been.

You are such a little boy, and. You can’t get enough of the Fisher Price choo choo train that belonged to Dad as a kid. You also have fallen in love with Thomas the Tank Engine, and love to bring your little trains everywhere.

You also love just about any other type of transportation equipment—planes, cars, helicopters, etc. You love to point out every plane that flies over our house, whether you can see it or not, and that’s a lot of planes since we live in the flight path for DCA.

You love hats. Favorites include your straw hat that makes you look like Tom Sawyer, your pirate hat, construction hat, and fire hat.

You love to read—whether it’s reading books on your own or having books read to you.

You also love your sister, but sometimes you need a little break from her and the rest of the world and need to decompress (just like Dad!) and got to your little corner to read for a few minutes. I love seeing you sitting in there enjoying your books. I hope you always love to read as much as you do now.

You have a lot to say and are quickly catching up with your talking. You know tons and tons of words and say some 2-word phrases. You’re especially good with the social phrases like, “Thank you” and “Bye Bye.”

You have a smile that lights up a room, and you love to use it to flirt with other people. Just thinking about your handsome smile and infectious laughter makes me smile and giggle.

You’re getting better and better at using a fork and spoon. You’ve always been a kid who will do stuff when he’s good and ready, especially if there’s lot of praise that goes with it. You haven’t really cared much about using a fork or spoon until lately, but now you’re really getting the hang of it.

Your feeling can be hurt easily and you’re pretty sensitive. You’re a tough boy with the tenderest of hearts.

You love saying night, night to Piper at bedtime. The one time I almost forgot to give you a chance to give her a huge and a kiss, you broke down in tears.

You sleep really well these days. Bedtime is 7pm and during the week, we wake you at 6:20am. You usually nap for at least 3 hours. You really love a good nap, just like me. Sometimes, you’re quite a bear to wake up if you haven’t gotten your full nap, but a few snacks and cuddles and we see your smile again.

You still look just like Dad. Everyone says you’re his mini-me. Sometimes I look at you, and the resemblance is so eery. You have the same facial expressions and everything. And, just like Dad, you often bump your head, so you’re usually sporting one or two goose eggs all the time.

You still love Sesame Street, especially the Mr. Hooper’s Store toy that was Dad’s. Your favorite character is Cookie 

Things you love: Trains, cars, ambulances, Cookie Monster, Mickey Mouse, Bubble Guppies, meatballs, almost any veggies, nectarines, blueberries, naps, hats, pirates, Amanda—your speech therapist, playgrounds

Things you hate: When we can’t tell what you’re saying, being woken up, being bitten by Piper, when Dad leaves the house

On Being Twins

We have so much fun as a family together—whether it’s trips to the playground, apple picking, museums, or just about anywhere. Life is more fun when you see it through the eyes of two toddlers.

For the most part, you get along pretty well. You will give each other hugs and kisses, say night-night to one another, and get upset when the other one is gone.

However, you do have your moments when someone gets bitten, a toy gets stolen, or someone gets knocked over.

Having two 2-year olds is so so so much fun. It’s a lot of work, but also so funny, kind and just amazing in general. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.