Category Archives: Parenting

(Previously written post)

Syd spoke her longest sentence today (Monday, June 10, 2013) – “I like to eat chocolate.” Oh, daughter of mine, there is no more appropriate sentiment to utter at 2:30 in the afternoon as you await your post-nap snack. However, as a mama who always attempts to feed my daughter healthily (note my very intentional verb choice here; we *have* been known to have toast for dinner), I opted to give Sydney a banana instead.

Chocolate isn’t in Syd’s current repertoire of foods, but we had some very tasty flourless chocolate cake at a get-together yesterday and we must have made such a (positive) fuss over it that she remembered she also enjoyed it. The funniest thing is that there was no chocolate in sight, nor did I mention anything about chocolate, when she made this declaration. It was another touching reminder of how spongey our kids’ brains are and how surprising the concepts they reflect are.

About a month ago, soon after Sydney’s verbal skills and inclination to talk increased exponentially, we found ourselves with a storyteller in the family. *gush alert* Whenever I think my daughter can’t get any cuter, she goes and does something that’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. *gush alert over (kinda)*

I still remember the first time I heard Sydney telling a story – it was in our family room, she was playing with her Hello Kitty figurines, and talking to/about them to no one in particular. It was definitely one of those “I-can’t-believe-I’m-witnessing-this-amazing-behavior moments,” and I just sat on the couch watching her, in awe of her vast and limitless imagination.

Just today, I watched Sydney in the car rearview mirror chatting it up with her best bud stuffed lion (“Lai Lai”). She was holding her gently by the body, very obviously speaking to her, and pointing out the window. I can only imagine how much of the passing scenery she was describing to her friend.

I can’t even express how much I love this part of parenting – the my-child-is-literally-developing-in-front-of-my-eyes part. Consciously, I know that our child’s development is something that we will actually witness constantly in our parenting lives, but in reality, I will never get tired of watching Sydney’s imagination come to life in her stories.

In the span of the last two weeks, Sydney has just turned into the most adorable chatty toddler I’ve ever encountered! Just yesterday, we had a minutes-long “conversation” – i.e. she talking and pointing, and I nodding while making encouraging sounds – where Sydney informed me that Emma had barked at a loud noise that had passed by outside our house.

It’s hard to describe how I felt in that moment, during what I think of as our first “real conversation.” There was mama-pride, delight, surprise, and amusement all mixed up together in the depths of my being. Sydney’s thoughts are now more available to me than ever before! She’s able to express them in ways that I can understand! Hallelujah! Does this mean her tantrums are over? Ha! Not even close.