Thoughts on Two

This kid eats frozen peas stuck in fresh raspberries. She pretends to apply make-up to her face with a tampon. She gives me "pedicures" while I get ready for work in the morning. Today her new words were "dirt" and "hummus" and she correctly identified the number 8 after pushing that button a gazillion times on my cell phone. She is two.

In this picture, she is sitting on my lap and eating a birthday cupcake at school, surrounded by her beloved friends and teachers (and papa is in the background). She makes life worth living.

Before she was born, I was afraid she wouldn't be. And after she was born, I was afraid I would fail to get my dream job and I'd have to explain to her later why I gave up trying. Neither of these fears came true, and most of my biggest hopes have. I am so blessed to have the constant challenge and opportunity to balance my life with this brave/cautious, grinning/screeching, easily frustrated/simply pleased, mischievous/curious, strong/fragile, hilarious/heart-breaking kid and my life as an English professor teaching college kids who roughly fit the same description.