reminiscing

As this second year draws to a close, and I reminisce over the changes and growth that has taken place, I'm reminded how quickly things change. When Squirt hit a rough phase - like that period when she fought bedtime with horrific ferocity or when she threw epic, demonic tantrums every time I took her to the grocery store - I would always tell myself that it will change; it won't last forever. That is true, too, of the good things. As the minutes tick away, marching her ever closer to her terrific and terrible twos, I want to treasure those sweet little things she does that make me smile, those wonderful quirks that make her uniquely Squirt, but, like a shooting star, will be gone in the blink of an eye. So here are some reminisces of this past year, in no particular order.

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In the shower, she delights in filling her mouth with water then squirting me in the face. She is always grins and giggles when she does this. Sometimes, she tries to be sneaky and holds it in her mouth for a long time, probably thinking I'll let my guard down. The surprised I act, the more delighted she becomes.

Right now, at this moment, her favorite foods are dark chocolate covered cranberries, string cheese, and the sorrel in the garden. This was not always so, and probably won't be the case next week. It's so fun to watch her unique tastes develop as she explores the culinary world.

Right now, she prefers to sit in my lap at dinner time. The other night, she sat in her own chair, but she had her stuffed bunny sitting on her lap. She fed him cauliflower.

She has recently started kissing boo boos.

She scolds the cats when they're doing something they're not supposed to, telling them (while wagging a finger, nonetheless), "No!" or "Down!".

She loves giving daddy hugs and big kisses, but then pushes him away as soon as she's done.

For a few weeks this winter, she would sing songs to me at bedtime. Now, right when she's about to get serious about going to sleep, she tells me "Ni' ni', Momma. I ya you." Sometimes, she wants to hold my hand as she falls asleep.

She tells us she loves us just out of the blue. It makes my heart swell with love every single time.

She is excited to put stuff in the trash.

This entire year, she has repeatedly gotten in trouble at daycare for taking off her shoes. Her caregiver always made it sound like it was the most serious crime a toddler could commit, which always amused me. I hope she always loves being barefoot and always finds comfort more important than a pretty pair of shoes.

She loves "helping" me make coffee. She sits on the counter and carefully puts scoops of beans in the grinder, helps me push the button, and then supervises as I pour it into the French press. She loves to help push down the press or, if I'm using the automatic maker, loves pushing the buttons.

She calls everything in a mug "tea".

She sings all the time. To me, to her babies, to herself. She has a beautiful voice.

I can't get her out of the car now that I've flipped the car seat to face forward. I bet we could drive to Timbuktu like that and she'd be as happy as a bird with a French fry.

She wants to dress herself. So far, she's pretty good at pulling on pants and getting shirts over her head. She's still struggling with finding the arm holes, though. Socks flat-out tick her off. Shoes... well... that's another issue entirely. She has a love/hate relationship with hats. Mostly, she doesn't like them. But the other day, she found her knit owl cap, proudly pulled it on her head, and played portait un chapeau for the rest of the evening.

There seems to be a tie for her favorite toy of the moment: Honey Joe, Teddy, and Bunny. Honey Joe was mine growing up, and has proven himself to be a wonderful companion for my little girl. Teddy was a gift from my mom - I don't remember if it was for me or for Squirt, but he is most decidedly her companion now. Bunny was an impulse buy right before Easter. She saw him when we were picking up groceries and dragged him through the store, refusing to leave him behind.

When Radar has an accident on the floor, Squirt comes running to me, pointing, and yelling "EEEW! Mama, eeeew!"

Her absolute favorite cartoon right now (and for the past few months) is, without any shadow of a doubt, "The Adventures of Tintin". Anytime you ask her if she wants to watch something, or whenever she gets the idea that she wants to watch something, no matter what else you might suggest, she squeals "Tintintintintintin, peeeeease!"

She loves to "help" wash dishes and fill up her own cup from the faucet. She also loves washing her hands with the foaming soap. Any of these activities usually involve mopping the floor after.

Sometimes she is quite the socialite when we go shopping. She will say "Hi, guy" to everyone we encounter. Once I corrected her, saying "Oh, Lily, that's not a 'guy', that's a 'lady'." So now she will sometimes say "Hi, dee" to the complete stranger sharing our aisle.

Her favorite book right now is "Ten Little Ladybugs." We could read that literary masterpiece until the cows came home...

She loves, loves, loves to draw with markers or pens. Heck with crayons or pencils.

She loves to play out doors, especially if there are swings or slides involved. When we're home, she'll excitedly ask " 'Side? 'Side?" (outside) then try to put on shoes as she waits by the door. If, for some reason, she can't go outside, she'll pull a chair up to the door window and stand there, looking out.

She harvests and eats the sorrel in the back yard, calling it "my so-wul".

She makes up her own letters when singing her ABCs, but could sing it all day long.

She is such a compassionate caregiver to her "babies." She tucks them in, feeds them, kisses them, and sometimes even scolds them, but always gives them a hug and pats their backs saying "there you go".

She loves to dance. She will dance enthusiastically and expressively to just about any song. When there is no music and she feels the groove, she will find a rhythmic beat in any sound (like the washing machine) and shake it. I hope this never fades.

When I was busy trying to get something done (I don't even remember), she kept bugging me: "Mom! Momma! Mommy! MOM!" When I finally turned and asked what, she smiled, said "I ya you", gave me a hug, and ran off to play. <3

She asks "y'ok?" if she sees that someone got hurt or is sad. She wipes away others' tears.

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There is so much more, and I'm sure I could go on for pages. She is such a remarkable creature, the love of my life. Happy almost birthday to my sun and stars, my very soul. I love you, Squirt.

Growing up so fast.