2.5

…EB’s latest system upgrade.

Ironically, yesterday on our LOVELY commute home in 5 p.m. traffic she broke out into her own renedition of “Happy Birthday.” We were kidding about it being my birthday…or her birthday…or daddy’s birthday when it occurred to me that TOMORROW (today), JUNE 1 she will be two-and-a-freakin’-half. UNBELIEVABLE. So, we then had ample reason to sing Happy Birthday, I suppose, and believe you me we did! So, the little she-devil, as I LOVINGLY refer to her, is now 2 ½. At 2 ½ years old we have some battles, she has brilliantly conquered other battles and there are battles yet to be discovered. As we go our separate ways every morning, it goes a little something like this:

HB- EB, look at me…. Kind words today, ok?
EB- Yes.
HB- You mean yes m’am.
EB- Yessum.
HB- Are your listening ears on loud and proud?
EB- Yes
….and repeat line three. So on and so forth. We are at QUITE a crossroads with our manners, our sass (that’s at an all time high), bossiness and the DRAMA. WOW. WOW. WOW. She’s BEYOND hilarious to us (I have NO idea where she gets her animation- it just baffles me), but ohhh it comes with quite a price sometimes. Of course, she’s a typical two year old, but she’s mine so I think it’s over the top, sometimes hilarious and maddening. In the current battle with a head spinning, spitting green stuff, sass-a-fras on my hands [which will only get worse in 11 years, I’m FULLY aware], we enjoy absolutely every second with her. We now can have FOR REAL conversations that don’t involve baby talk, very few broken sentences or babble. Her grammar is HILARIOUS, but it’s a process and I LOVE it. As she is in a constant process of growing and learning, so are her parents. Parenting is a constant evolving process that I’ve grown QUITE fond of in the past 2.5 years with her little life. I by NO means have it down, but by His grace, she’s still alive, He’s teaches us every day and I’m over the moon so proud that she’s mine. While I learn to shepherd her little heart (yes, that book is NEXT on my repertoire and the title could NOT be more prefect) and life every day, despite the ‘tude, we could NOT be having more fun and enjoying this stage of her life. The other day I read a tweet that stayed in my head all weekend (yes, I am now on Twitter. Quite a momentous occasion):

Wise are the parents who regularly give their children back to God. – Max Lucado.

Sometimes as a parent we wrestle with the powerful meaning of this, but…wow.. How refreshing, humbling (for me) and quite an act of faith when I think I’ve got everything under control JUST FINE. After all, He loves her FAR more than I could and that's a HECK of a LOT! Today, she also starts swim lessons with a friend. 1. I hope our friend doesn’t throw the towel in (no pun intended) after lesson #1. 2. Don’t think for two seconds it wasn’t used as a bargaining ploy early this morning when she threw herself down on the floor in convulsions over having to go potty. Just a little glimpse into our 6:30 a.m. routine.

(These pictures are a smorgasbord of events. The ones in her navy blue T-shirt are from her performance last week at school. I signed her up for a music class and my ears had the PLEASURE of hearing her progress last week. Yes, she did parade out in front of about 75+ parents and sit JUST.LIKE.THAT. Again… it’s a process. She later remembered to criss-cross applesauce. Whew)

Lastly, the picture on the right was what I posted last June....a whole year later (on the left), we still haven't outsmarted the sprinkler....we're just taller with a LOT more hair.