Tales from the One-derful Ones

... or lack there of some days. Emma is now becoming a full-fledged toddler and totally a walking, talking little miss. Her favorite word lately is "NO" and she enjoys telling you she needs to go "nigh-nigh" or "poo-poo" to get out of time-out, bedtime or any other form of discipline she knows is coming her way. Where the heck did this kid come from and where did my sweet and agreeable little angel go? Who replaced my angel with a panic-inducing dare-devil who defies it all to climb a bookshelf, climb up a chair to get the piece of candy she wants or open the door to run outside? What happened to my Cuddlebug? And why did God think it necessary for me to endure everything my parents had to with me? I mean, come on, I did child care for years, I think my payback for everything should have come from that! Not because I used to point back at my parents, scrunch up my nose and say "NO" just like Emma does now. If this is just the beginning, I can only fear what the teenage years will be like. 

Don't get me wrong, Emma definitely has her amazing moments too. Obviously I am biased, but I think she's a smart cookie and that she is one of the goofiest and talented little girls around. Who cares what you think? I certainly don't ... I marvel at how quickly she's learned things, the words she can say, the people and things she remembers and the fact that while I have mini-heart attacks from it, that she is so fearless that she would scale the side of a bookshelf just for fun. What gets me, though, is her love for music and worship. She loves going to chapel at the school because she gets to dance and worship like the other kids. It makes my heart happy every time I see her standing there with her hands raised as she sways back and forth singing at the top of her lungs. I only wish I could always worship as freely as her. And she loves to say her good-night prayers. She may not understand who God is, but she knows that every night we thank him for mommy, daddy and our family and friends. She asked to say her "payers" before bed. Stall tactic? Sometimes, but she never likes to go to sleep without saying them. 

It's amazing that this little girl was once a tiny little baby that I cradled so closely. I remember those moments so vividly when she falls asleep in my arms. I remember the smell of her infant skin and the softness she had. I remember hoping that she'd stay that way forever. My forever is now 2 days shy of 22 months... almost two years old! Two years is going to hit us hard and fast and I'm pretty sure that if we survive two, we'll survive the teenage years, but I could be totally wrong. ... Oh... What ever will I do when she gets closer to three?