Wonder

I'm so glad that I put Adrianne's creativity table by the window when I had the whole living room rearranged back before Rowan came along. One of Adrianne's new favorite past times is kneeling on her little chairs and gazing out the window for seemingly hours on end.

You'd think she'd get tired of the same old scenery day in and day out. But quite the contrary. She just loves seeing the cars and the people outside. She especially loves watching the snow fall. It's so adorable how she narrates what she sees out the window. Since she used to pronounce "snow" as just "no," we started telling her to try saying it with an "s" sound. So now she will sit there and repeat to herself quietly over and over..."sssss...nooooo....."

She also loves to knock on the window at her imaginary Grandmas and Papas. Knock-knock-knock..."Ma-nga!" (That's how she says "Grandma" at this point.) Then she'll point out the "car" or perhaps she also sees "Papa." And of course she's always munching on her favorite snack: pretzels. It's like she's at a theater or something.

She is content to just sit there watching for so long. I love when she just puts her hand up against the window and then turns around and holds it out to me saying its "cohhh..." (cold.) Then I have to warm her hands up against my cheeks.

She is still so full of wonder at this stage of the game and I love it. I know it is only just beginning, too. I am so excited for her childhood, as I know she will have a beautiful imagination. She already does. I can't wait to nurture that wonderful sense of curiosity and creativity. The realness of magic that is present in childhood is something that is still all too familiar to me. I think it's such an important thing to hold on to.

So whenever I get flustered as I clean up potty-training-regression-poopy-pants, I just try to focus on that goofy, smiley, full-of-magic, crumbly pretzel face of hers and remember that everything she does is just part of her own growth process. When she purposefully ruins another pair of perfectly expensive Hello Kitty panties, I know she is just trying to figure everything out in her own way. It's not easy learning how to live in this strange, chaotic, beautiful world. But you know what? She's doing a damn good job. And I just love being there by her side as she does.