The Best Two Years Of My Life

Maya, you are going to be turning two on Friday. It's hard to believe that it was already that long ago you came into the world and yet it feels like you have been a part of me my whole life.

There seems to be so much to say about your second year, but no words to say it. 

My brain just can't seem to wrap around the fact that you are your own walking and talking personality with your own feelings and desires. Where you not just my little itty bitty newborn baby? Ah, it's such a cliche that I know all mothers end up saying this when their child's second birthday is on it's way. 

We have been through so much this past year. You have changed so much and blossomed so much. I know that new challenges await us as you demand for your own independence and yearn to learn more things than ever. 

I can't even put into words how proud I am of the little girl you are becoming. I can't even describe the feeling of witnessing the literal miracle of you growing every day right before my eyes. 

Like the air in and out of my lungs. Like the beat of my heart. Like the seasons changing every year. You exist in and out of every day. There are just no words to even say....

Play Time

The playroom is finally complete. Well as much as it is gonna be considering that free time to work on such projects is a commodity at my house these days.  Come on in. I will give you a quick tour. 

This room in our basement used to be the place in my house that I used as a dumping ground for random stuff, as well as a multipurpose place to do my sewing, scrapbooking, etc. It literally consisted of a desk armoire, a table, and random stuff strewn about everywhere. Nothing had a spot or a place it belonged to. It was simply the aftermath of a tornado. From the moment I started having contractions a few days before Nolan was born, I started nesting BIG TIME. I made my husband install shelving in the closets. Then I went and bought a crap load of things to organize my stuff unil it looked like this...

Much better. I was able to hide all my mess behind doors and have a brand new space to make as a play room for the kiddos. 

I know that there are a lot of people from various countries who would think dedicating a whole entire room to storing children's toys seems a bit ridiculous.  Sure, kids these days have way too much "stuff", I agree. But here's the thing.... I happen to hold a strong belief that play is one of the most powerful methods in which a child can learn, express himself, and develop important skills. Sure, children don't need a lot of toys to have meaningful play - but if you have the means to do so, why not create a space in the home that encourages exploration and creativity?

Maya has already had so many great play sessions down in here. I have actually learned a lot from her just watching her play and interacting with her. It is also such a joy when we have company over and she invites someone to come down and be a part of her world.  I love to watch her try to get grown adults to follow her into that tiny tunnel!

A few quotes about play to leave you with today:

A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.

Benjamin Spock

Play has been man’s most useful preoccupation.

Frank Caplan

Deep meaning lies often in childish play.

Johann Friedrich von Schiller

Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.

Diane Ackerman

Deep meaning lies often in childish play.

Johann Friedrich von Schiller

Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play.

Heraclitus

Big Girl Bed

Maya has been officially sleeping in her "big girl" bed for two weeks now. I couldn't believe how easy the transition was. She was so comfortable in her crib I was worried that she would miss it, but she just jumped right into her new bed and claimed it as her space.  I was also worried that she would get out of bed at night and get into things without us hearing her. So far it hasn't occurred to her that she has that freedom yet. When she wakes she always waits in her bed for us to come in and get her. She only got out once to grab her teddy from the floor and then went back into her bed. I'm happy that we no longer have two cribs in the house but of course sad that this transition is just another reminder that she is not my little itty bitty baby anymore. You know, usual mommy saga of "I'm sad that you are growing up but proud that you are growing up....", and all that junk.