Bears, Babies, Monkeys and Turtles, Oh My!

Having a toddler in the house again is often times very dizzying and hectic. But most of the time it is a wonder. To see the world opening up to her and to see how she puts things together in her mind.

Our house is chaos, and while she has added immensely to this chaos, she has also brought stability and mental reflection. Nostalgically, I find myself reflecting on my son's toddler hood and comparing them--this new little person before this maturing young man before me.

Sometimes the reflections are echos from the past.

Recently we moved a lot of Michael's old books into Willow's room. Of all the books, she has discovered one of Michael's treasured books--one so treasured, I actually had put back into his room, a book in his "keep" pile. She found it sticking out of his bookshelf. And she LOVES it just as much as he did at her age. Every night, he needed the "Bear Book" read to him. Sometimes more than once. Now, in an echo from the past, she has started to request the "BEAR" book.



It is so interesting how this book brings back so many memories in me. As I read it with all the silly voices, the suspense still there every time for her...it reminds me of the many, many times I read this book and so many others to my son.

He in turn, reminds me of myself at his age, as I watch him curl up on the couch or read by booklight another Mad Magazine (some of which he is swiping from my old stash under my bed).

Meanwhile, bears and monkeys are animal obsessions that my daughter shares with my son at this age (he actually has a monkey that he made at build-a be.ar that he named "Bear"). She adds babies and turtles into the mix; she has lately been helping to feed Congo the turtle at night (see, we got him food again!--um, his aquarium still needs a good cleaning...)

Milestones are crashing down around me, sometimes I fail to even notice them until they are upon me. Potty training is on the horizon, but none of us are rushing about it (although, in many many ways I am SO looking forward to no more diapers--I know its a while off, she is just not ready).

Oh, and being a girl, I guess she is into peer pressure early...never one to have a prized possession that she needed to take with her, she is lately bringing a blanket with her to daycare. Why? Because all the other little girls bring blankets!
She plays with the blanket (shout out to Margo--it's the blanket YOU made), put's it around her body, she puts it over herself like a ghost.



And life goes on with the many bears, bugs, rocks, flowers, sand, water and world to explore...