when raising children – remember the age of 20 months.
20 months. it’s an important age. one you always forget. one that always throws you for a loop. one that when your second child was 1 month old and your first born was this age you just KNEW that by simply having the second child you had created a monster in the first, when in reality you just had a 20 month old.
20 months. not quite 2, and yet…
20 months. the age of… “oh, i have a will of my own.” “oh, i have independence from these parent creatures.” “oh, look, i can get great responses when i do…”.
20 months. remember that you will be absolutely exhausted in a way that a newborn doesn’t do to you because a newborn doesn’t have that independent streak yet.
20 months. remember that you will be absolutely exhausted in a way that a post-toddler doesn’t do to you because a post-toddler doesn’t have to be on suicide watch constantly.
20 months. that in-between-i’m-gonna-destroy-everything-in-sight-both-from-discovery-AND-sheer-will age.
20 months. the…i will throw a fit at the drop of a hat. i will hit my siblings with anything in sight. i will be naked all the time, most especially bedtime. i will be determined, even though naked, that i will not use the potty. i will try to climb out of the crib. i will strip the sheets off the bed 15 times at bedtime. i will get in and out of the bath at bathtime 30 times. i will flop wet and screaming naked on the floor when taken out of the bath to get dried. i will clamp down on the toothbrush just because i can. i will eat food off my brothers’ plates just to see them get mad. i will take my shoes and socks off 100 times before we can get into the grocery store. i will grab and open/destroy every package in the grocery cart. i will climb out of the grocery cart each and every time you put me in. i will grab the glasses from your face and pinch your cheeks when you make me do anything i don’t want to do. i will dump the cat food everytime i see it. i will pour out every open cup i find. i will squirt the soap bottle as many times as i can before i get caught. i will ever-so-cutely “wipe my nose” with a little wad of tissue and put it into the potty as many times as i can before i get caught. i will yell, “mama, i poop” as many times as it takes to summon you from the couch at bedtime – whether or not i am really holding said poop in my hand.
20 months. the…watch me dance, i can twirl. i will smile at you a smile that will melt you like no other. the listen to me learn new words everyday. the i wuv woo. the snuggle into the neck. the “i wonna pick up”. the arms raised for cuddlin’. the i wan mama. the i wan daddy. i will point to your belly and say “my baby.” i will say “hug” to my brothers. i will bring books for as long as you’ll read them and say, “book?” i will stand in the chair at the table and yell, “hundry” the entire time you’re cooking. when asked anything that brings about an affirmative answer you will get an emphatic, “uh-huh!” i will kiss baby dolls even when i think nobody’s looking. i will point to my clothes and say “i pretty.” i will point to my belly and say, “i prinshesh.” i will do hand motions to every song. i will sing every song even if i’ve never heard it before.
note to self: 20 months. don’t get so caught up in the work of this age that you miss the magic of it.
