sweet spot . . .

Confession: I have a thing for 18-24 month-olds. They enchant me. They delight me. Frankly, I find them absolutely irresistible. I consider this age to be the sweet spot between babyhood and terrible two-dom. Their cheeks and thighs still have just enough extra chub to make you think they are still babies, and yet their personalities are absolutely exploding out of their miniature bodies as a reminder that they really are becoming their own little people after all. There is, of course, one specific specimen within this age range that I am particularly smitten with at the moment.

She's still little enough for me to carry around on my hip, but big enough to have recently perfected the art of jumping (a skill of which she is very pleased with herself about). She has a vocabulary far beyond her age but with all the precious mispronunciations of one just figuring out her own voice. She's old enough to know how to manipulate me with the slight tilt of her head and the widening of her big blue eyes, and young enough for me to give in. Every time.

But tell me how I am supposed to resist a little girl who insists on helping me in the kitchen any chance she gets and is happy to stir a bowl of cheese . . . okay and eat some too (that later became cheese bread) for half an hour while I made dinner.
Also irresistible?

When I look over and catch her pretending to use a crayon as lipstick. (I am so curious as to how she learns these things. I don't even wear lipstick . . . )
The way she lays her babies on a throw pillow in the living room, carefully covers them up with a tiny blanket, whispers "night", and gives them a loud kiss.
Her signature dance move: can't describe, must get on video SOON
When I am rocking her to sleep and she looks up at me and says "sunshine" . . . meaning sing "You are My Sunshine"
The way she always pushes the sleeves of her pajamas all the way up to her elbows and the pant legs all the way up to her knees.
Her love for accessorizing with jewelry, glasses, purses and fancy shoes. She knows when she looks good and is not one to pass up any chance for a compliment. The other day she pranced in front of me and declared herself "byo-ful".
And a million other things I can't think of right now . . .

Of course it's not all sweetness and light. She always wants it to be her turn "my turn, my turn, my turn" and will tell me "stop it" and "no bay Mom". She can pierce your eardrum with a single scream. But there is rarely a night when I don't fall into bed at night, turn to Tom, and declare her the most adorable creature on the planet.