Granted, she's still this adorable, but there's just something extra special about those first couple of years. One thing I love is how toddlers are still learning about their world. There's still that bit of curiosity and every little thing is amazing. I loved watching Client One's eyes light up with every new discovery. I also loved the fact that while toddlers are growing up and becoming more independent and assertive they still have that baby-like quality about them. Client One could speak fairly distinctly by age two but she still had cutesy little terms for many things. She stumbled over words in the most adorable little ways. Now that she's a preschooler, a lot of that babyness is gone. She seems all grown up now. That perfect mix of innocence and independence is gone in favor of independence. Now, she has to do everything herself, even if it takes ten extra minutes. Leaving the house in a timely fashion is nigh unto impossible. She has to climb up into the car all on her own and buckle herself all on her own and if she can't get it done on her own, we have a breakdown on our hands. Let me tell you, breakdowns at age three are no where near as cute as they were when she was a toddler.
Yes, the toddler years can be frustrating, but the preschooler years are proving to be more of a challenge. Client One definitely knows how to test my patience. Toddlers might disobey a little bit and push the limits but preschoolers deliberately go out of their way to be as bad as possible. Client One is an expert at finding new ways to make me go crazy. She's really good at it. And she can run a lot faster than she could a year or so ago. This brings a new challenge to wrangling her for anything. And we won't even discuss the ever changing palette of a three-year-old. I would love to know what made her decide that cheese on pizza is gross but the cheese stick in her friend's lunch is a must-have. I now am beginning to understand why some animals eat their young, Preschoolers are exhausting. Truly exhausting. But I love her.
I really sit back and marvel at how grown-up Client One seems now. She's potty trained (hallelujah!) and that makes my life a lot easier, but now she's even able to go to the bathroom with little or no help. She also used to insist on snuggles every night at bedtime and would not go to sleep without me lying next to her. Yes, at the time I found it exasperating, but now, I kind of miss those snuggles. She doesn't feel the need to hold my hand as often and while she enjoys the occasional snuggle, she's more content to play and sit on her own. She has opinions on everything and it is getting harder and harder to influence her every decision. She can even order her own frappuccino at Starbucks. Every day she needs me a little less. In many ways, I miss my little girl, though I'm equally proud of the bigger girl she's becoming.
And now, Client Two is on the brink of becoming a toddler. He has yet to utter a real word, but it's coming. And he's crawling like a pro and even standing a bit. Soon he will be walking. Soon he will be a full-blown toddler. I feel as if his babyhood is almost at an end and that makes me a little sad as well. You know, it's been said that the years are short but the days are long and it's so true. Time passes too quickly. My babies are growing up faster than I can keep track and I love and hate it all at the same time.
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