Just like that, another month has gone by. The weather has finally changed and the leaves are turning brilliant shades of gold and red, and you are changing just as fast. You are a miracle.
This month you have learned a lot. My personal favorite thing that has changed this month is your speech. You have finally uttered your very first sentence, and to my utter and complete delight that sentence is NOT "you asshole!" as predicted, but "Thank you." Which you say "danku." You don't really know what it means, but it does show that we have gone a long way toward politeness in this house, because you say it when you hand us something (because, of course, when you hand us something we take it and we say, "Thank you!"), and today at story time at the library you said it to Miss Virginia the librarian as we were leaving. It is awesome.
This month also marked your second Halloween, and unlike last year where you were completely unaware, this year you were much more involved. You liked the candy quite a bit, but mostly while it was still in the wrapper (you love chewing on wrappers), but you did not understand why we were forcing you to walk around outside after dark and go up the steps of everyone's houses, especially since during our walks we spend most of our time STOPPING you from climbing everyone's steps. We dressed you as a Hershey's Kiss, which was unbelievably adorable, but you did not like keeping the hat on AT ALL.
Now that the weather is more bearable, your mom and dad have decided to get off their asses and try to do more exercise, so we've been going hiking. Miraculously, you love hiking, and both "big" hikes we've gone on in the last couple of weeks you've walked a lot--a mile the first time, and a mile and a half the second time. It was amazing to watch you learn why hiking is different from regular walking; in the course of a half hour, you learned to watch for tree roots and to balance on one foot instead of both when you wobble. It was really amazing. We are so happy about that we bought you little hiking boots, but we had to shop in the boy's section of the store for them since apparently girls don't hike according to the sexist assholes that make toddler shoes (sorry; Mommy goes on tirades sometimes). We will hike again very soon so you can try them.
We shouldn't be surprised at your hiking ability. On our daily trips to the playground you have abandoned the "baby" equipment and insist on climbing the stuff meant for older kids. You now happily plop yourself down at the top of the slide and skooch your butt forward until you can fly down it. You love sliding, and always say "Whee!" as you get off the slide (it's so funny, how you wait until you are getting down to say it). You can do the whole thing--climb the stairs, sit down, get in position, slide down, and get off the slide to do it all over again--all by yourself. Pretty soon, I'll get to be like those moms I see at the playground with a book.
You are such a happy kid. Like every child before you, your favorite game is "gonna getcha!" No matter what is happening, if we stomp our feet and slowly "run" toward you, you shriek with happiness and dash away. It's the perfect way to fix any bad mood--for all of us.
You love to give kisses. You kiss on demand, and often kiss spontaneously. You kiss the dog and the cat whenever they sit still long enough, and come and give us kisses all the time. You also chase down kids at playground and storytime to give them kisses, particularly the babies that are younger than you, which is adorable (even when some of the baby's moms wish you wouldn't give their kiddos slobbery kisses). You do, thankfully, close your mouth now when you kiss.
This last week you had to deal with your first time change, which you dealt with quite rationally--in other words, you pretended you didn't know it had happened. Why would you, after all? Time is a rather arbitrary thing, and if the grown-ups want to go and just change it all of a sudden, why should you care? It does bother you that we can't go to the playground right before dinner, though, since now it's dark there and the neighbors might find it odd if you were sliding down the slide in the dark, even if it is only 5:30pm. So now when we walk to the park, you have to squint against the sun.
The other thing that's changed this month is that you are beginning to learn, just a tiny bit, about staying out of stuff we ask you to. You even occasionally respond to a verbal cue from one of us, although usually only when it's said REALLY REALLY LOUDLY. We don't want to yell at you, we really don't. But sometimes cranking up the volume gets the desired response and we find it difficult to resist. We promise to pay for your therapy later.
You are showing us more of your personality this month. You've developed an absolutely hilarious fake smile that you often run around with for no reason we can see (and is featured in the new masthead of this blog). It cracks us up. You've also started doing this weird laugh/chortle thing when you are happy where you go "hehehehehehehe" in a low voice almost like a sheep baaing. You have become incredibly attached to certain toys, such as "babir" (big bird) and OH MY GOD how you love my Pee Wee Herman doll from the 80's even though it no longer says anything other than a high-pitched squealing and it's full of sharp, pointy parts that hurt you when you insist on laying down with it. You also, for some reason, love my empty energy drink cans and will carry them around and pretend to drink out them for hours (I am so fucking happy that I don't drink beer anymore and have to watch you do that with my beer cans--sheesh). If we take away any toy you have deemed to be critically important in order for you to survive you give a piercing shriek that makes my migraine-laden head explode and then you cry and cry until we give it back. You also get very angry sometimes, often for no reason we can see, and will throw that same beloved toy down with such vehemence it bounces. We try (and mostly fail) not to laugh at you when you do that, but it really is pretty funny. More therapy, we know.
You do still run us ragged, however, because you have more energy than any other three kids put together. But you nap well, you sleep (mostly) pretty well at night, and you go to bed easily. Most other parents don't have that kind of luck, so we'll take the high energy in exchange for the good bedtime behavior any day.
Tori Anne, each day there is a moment (often more than one) where my heart swells so huge with love for you I feel like I might just burst. It's an amazing experience, and a great way to go through life. I can't believe no one ever told me this is what being a mom would be like--that along with sleep deprivation and crazy toddler chasing would come these glorious moments of happiness that are perfect and almost too much to bear. Thank you so much for giving me that, my darling girl. I love you so very, very much.
