The Turbulent Twos

So everyone always talks about the terrible twos, but after having experienced the twos on a daily basis (instead of just off and on when I was babysitting) I have decided that terrible isn't quite the right word to use. I think that the turbulent twos is a much better description. I guess that many people only think about the tantrums and power struggles when they use the word terrible, but there is so much more to the life of a two-year-old. Turbulent encompasses all the ups and downs of life at this age; I think being two must be sort of like traveling down a wild river. There are moments of tranquility and peace and then times where everything is unsteady and in danger of capsizing. Turbulent just seems to capture that image in one word.

Jackie's turbulent twos are traveling right along like a river in the spring near the source: quickly changing with the weather. Calm on cold days but becoming overfilled on rainy days when the melting snow runs off the mountains into the stream. There are a few odd days of tranquility right now. Days when Jackie is loving and cuddly like she was daily before turning two. But it seems most days right now are quite rocky, overflowing with new emotions and an ever growing need to assert her desires. And I think that Ben's new sense of independence and growing accomplishments is part of what has Jackie feeling so unsteady. She sees him getting praise for all that he is doing and to some extent being allowed to do things she is not (like pulling on hair and grabbing at things) and she feels the need to test the banks of her little stream.

But there are wonderful moments with Jackie. I guess they are the moments she feels the most secure in herself. It is nice to just sit with her in the wonder of growing up. Below are a few of these moments.

So recently Jackie has been having a blast with another little girl a lot like herself. She spends a little time here and there during the day with this little girl, but not necessarily every day. We live very close to the other little girl and Jackie is quite taken with her. We live so close to this little girl that she can often be found in our dining room. In fact, when Jackie found her she was staring back from the back of the china cabinet. You might have guessed it, but this other little girl is Jackie's reflection. Not to say that Jackie did not discover the power and awe of mirrors before now; she did. But this is a little different - Jackie is playing with the reflection somehow differently than she used to. And she thinks that she is quite funny. Maybe Jackie is now using her reflection to practice socializing with (that is sort of the impression I get when watching the interaction.) But whatever is different about the interchange between Jackie and her reflection, it is adorable.

Another recent occurrence happened while reading one of Jackie's favorite books: The Ear Book by Al Perkins. We probably read this book an average of 20 times a week and sometimes it feels like we read it that many times in a day. But about a week ago, shortly after my parents left, Jackie started to help read the book. This is a book filled with otomotopeas, and as I went to turn to the page about water Jackie said, "Drop, drop, drop." Which is exactly what the page says, "We hear water: drop, drop, drop." And she continued to help read the rest of the book.

This story is not so calm and wonderful as downright cute. We were driving home from errands the other evening and Ben was tired and hungry and not so calm. In fact, Ben was crying this ear-piercing cry. I looked back in my "Jackie view" mirror to see how she was coping, because she is usually upset by Ben's crying, and she had her fingers in her ears. It was so cute I burst out laughing and told her I wished I could do the same. She didn't like me laughing and she got upset. But the picture of her with little fingers in her ears trying to block out the painful screaming is still pretty funny.