A Great Age

How stinkin' cute is this kid?

When you have a child this age (20 months) it is very common for people to tell you how this age was their favorite age when rearing their own kids. And it's so easy to see why. Yesterday, Scott came home, and Nate, for the first time, ran to him and yelled, "Hi Daddy!" A few days ago we were driving in the car and from the back seat I hear, "Halloween tings!" as he spotted a house decorated with skeletons, spiders, and tombstones. What I hear most of all is "Dada car", and this is because for some reason the Toyota symbol on our 4runner has made an impression on Nate. Walking down the street, driving to school, or from his stroller perch, Nate can recognize the Toyota logo on any Toyota vehicle, be it Camry, pickup, or Sequoia. And when he sees it, he squeals with delight, "Dada car!!!" (did you know that many, many people drive Toyotas? I had no idea until these past few weeks). I have tried to get Nate to say "Luke", but when I ask him, he says, "No. BraBra." As if to say, "I recognize his name is Luke, but I am choosing to call him this instead." Nate is naming and recognizing and communicating more and more each day, and this word explosion is a joy to behold!

Something else that comes with this age, though, is the separation anxiety. Nate reminds me of one of those little koalas that we used to put on our pencils back in the day. You know the ones that you pinch and then they hang on? Well, Nate is that Koala, just hangin' on. Luke was always very confident and independent-minded, so this is new for me, and bittersweet. This should pass soon, I know.

Nate loves to jump. We are taking a Mommy and Me class that has tons of soft play equipment. Nate is the brute of the group, and the daredevil. He finds the highest point of the stacked climbing donuts, then leaps into the air, throwing himself into a sitting position as he lands on his bum in the center. At the park, he climbs the curb just to practice jumping down into the sand. He is still climbing as well, and pushing furniture around (with too much ease for my comfort) to enhance his climbing experience.

He throws massive tantrums where he says "No" and bites and pulls hair. But one of the most endearing things about Baby Nate is that he is sure he is five years old. There is no question in his mind that he and Luke are equals. Nate believes he can do the same art, play with the same toys, and have the same friends. In fact, today at the park, two of Luke's buddies had to go home, and Nate started screaming and wailing at the loss of these boys (who had made a great effort to include Natey in their adventures). Nate worships Luke, and there is no question that they both love each other immensely.

This is a great age, there's no question about it. But I am looking forward to all the ages of my boys. My aunt JoAnn recently sent her daughter off to college, and I asked how she was coping with that. She gave me an answer that has really stuck with me. She told me that she loves her daughter at this age- seeing her independent and courageous as she goes out into the world to become a true adult. And she loved her when she was little and learning, and she'll love the daughter that gets married and gives her grandchildren. She told me that she saw the joy that every age had to offer, so it made her feel that seeing her daughter off to college was not a loss or an end, but the beginning of something else really cool. Yep.