SDOS- Day 4: "Crazy Chicks"

A 

Year 

AGO

"Then"...

I looked over my shoulder at the wall in the office, and there she was. 

Her little (but very full face!) with a grin that lit up the beach that day.

I say "grin" because our Samantha Grace has never been one for large over the top smiles and
teethy-mouth-grins. She has been a girl that from day ONE, it was hard, mostly impossible to crack an expression on her face. Not to mention bringing a camera around, and then you could quickly say "sayonara" to the smile.

Life has changed in that regard. She smiles quickly now, and she usually holds it long enough to grab the camera and Snap!

Pictures really do say 1000 words, and they have this ability of taking you back to that exact space and time you were once in, in the quickest minute. 

It was "Then"...

Just this past December, six months have already passed, and she has already changed so much!

The littles seem to always do, with the passing of the seasons, and the growing that comes with "growing up".

Yet, something marks this turning, "two" stage.

Two Days Away From Two!

Little minds start catching up with their growing bodies, and all of a sudden I will look over at her, and she will have almost said a complete sentence.

Sigh. 

Gone are the days of mumbling words, and confusing conversation.
Don't get me wrong, we still have those times, its just that her vocabulary is developing and she is processing, learning, and changing.

She is doing what she is meant to do.
She is becoming who she is meant to be. 

And as I tucked her in for her nap today, and she was ordering (yes!) her animal friends around
(five now...Pinky, Elmo, Barney, Turtle, & Minnie!)
I stopped and stood outside her door.
I slowed down. I breathed the moment in. I exhaled and realized this was the last nap in her one's.
And before we sailed on off into the giant "two wander" I paused.
Giving life to the moment, taking in her strong personality, and savoring who she is becoming.

So far, the "one's" have been a wild ride.
And if her "two's" are anything like this past one, I know that the balance of survival and savoring for this mama takes patience.
Surviving the really hard moments and savoring the special ones.
And everything in between.
Patience in the moment of the Costco meltdown over me announcing her berry smoothie is "all gone" and patience for my personality to learn to slow down, take it all in, and savor each moment.

Mama-hood takes learning what is important for each of you. Mama and Baby. Mama and Toddler. Mama and Adolescent I am sure. Each stage brings about a new season, a new learning curve.
"Then" quickly becomes "now" before you have realized it, and surrendering to the new job description happens in an instant.
Ready or not... here it comes!

For me, it takes a lot prayer, it takes asking and receiving support, it takes lots and lots of exercise in the a.m., it takes ultimately letting go of all the ducks being in a row, and learning that this
coup full of energy-filled-chicks do best when were both
"slow to anger and abounding in love".

Who said having your "ducks in a row" was better than being "crazy chicks" anyway?

Crazy Chicks.

Here's to the "two's"...I can bet (and PRAY!) your not so terrible after all.

xoxo
Mama