"It's a sandwich, a purple one."
Chomp. It's a block with a puzzle piece upon it.
"Ice Cream, Mom. Orange."
"Not Chocolate," I ask.
"No. I have chocolate, you have orange."
Another block is held out to me, with a puzzle piece upon it.
"I'm on a motorcycle Mom. Vrroooom, vrooommm." She sits, straddling our elliptical machine, hands on the bolts of the arm bars, voice going full force as if on a fast ride.
Kaitlyn's imagination has E X P L O D E D. Somedays she roams the house roaring like a fierce lion or extinct dinosaur. I've found her busy in her play kitchen cooking all sorts of pastries and today, happily found a moldy red bell pepper in her play oven. Hmmm. Had to explore all parts of the kitchen to see what else could be in hiding! It's really a joy to watch her develop this conversational imaginary world. She is extremely inviting, always asking if I would come along on her helicopter trips, her astronaut excursions to the stars and moon and if I'd ride horses with her, 'Dylan, too' (stated as if he is not to answer but strictly comply with the trip reservation)!
Dylan has found his "I'm ashamed" face. He attempted biting my shoulder today so I voiced a firm 'No." Instantly his head dropped, his eyes dropped and his upper lip was pulled in as if about to launch into a quiver. While I think it's the most adorable response, it's heartbreaking to see his instant response become so sensitively dramatic! To be quite honest, it takes my breath away for a moment leaving me in a frozen state. His response is on the other end of the pendulum of a Kaitlyn response!
Upon waking up and receiving my incredible 'big hugs and kisses' from the kids (just about my favorite part of the entire day) the series of chaotic events begin to unfold as if a domino effect taking me hour by hour through my day. Almost routinely I fall into a power struggle with getting Kaitlyn dressed before we leave her bedroom in the morning. No shirt is ever good enough, and pants? Forget it, she's on strike. Pink leggings win so often I think about stocking her drawers with nothing but pink leggings! Dylan is fairly clingy in the morning which drives Special K nuts prompting her to antagonize him...that's the first hour of daybreak. Antagonizing Dylan starts and ends our days!
She: runs behind him and pushes him down.
She: pinches his cheeks and arms for no reason.
She: she shoves her finger in his mouth to then pull it out with crazy force against his cheek.
She: pushes him down again.
She: did I mention she pushes him down?
She: steals his food on his tray.
She: grabs any and all toys out of his hands.
She: clobbers and tumbles upon him using her entire body.
She: wants to play anything he is playing with.
She: tries to poke his eyes.
He: falls down and cries out.
He: pulls her hair.
He: pulls her hair again and gets a clump of hair.
He: laughs. Laughs a lot.
He: cries out.
He: flinches. He's in a constant state of flinching.
He: follows her around.
He: wants to play anything she is playing with.
He: walks away.
Oh the two of them are a riot when in the heart of each other's space. Sporadically throughout each day there are moments of grace-Special K will be in pure harmony playing with puzzles while Dylan is obsessed with the pink vacuum, both in their own imagination.
At the end of the day I take great pride in knowing my children have budding minds, little fingers that like to poke, prod, pry and pull. I love that they are verbal and caring, expressively emotional and while often irrational, can show fierce independence! Dylan on the verge of one, and Kaitlyn 28 months, these spirited children of mine keep me up late, get me up early and continually remind me how precious life is!
