I think Isaac, our just-turned-two year old, has really come into his own this week. He is truly living up to the infamous stereotype of the "terrible twos". Yesterday, I spent two hours ironing each page of my warthog-skinned bible, which he had decided to baptize in the tub. Yeah, the one I got re-covered in Zimbabwe a few years ago. After the dunk, I let it air dry for days then tried blow-drying with a hairdryer. This gave somewhat satisfactory results except for the wrinkles which made the whole thing swell up like a Strongs Concordance. Thus ironing the pages -works fine on medium heat. I am still not finished, but I'm in the Psalms. It almost looks as good as new. Sigh...
Isaac not only likes to throw things in the tub, he also likes markers. Purple is his favorite color, which is why our beige recliner has a beautiful purple rainbow across the front. AND he has a penchant for face painting. I found him sitting nicely on the living room floor with Benjamin watching Sesame Street yesterday morning. For a brief moment of euphoria, I basked in the glow of their quiet little brotherhood...until Isaac turned to me and grinned -with my new merlot- red lipstick painted on both cheeks, his nose and (of course) his lips. I gasped, speechless. Then ran for the bathroom where I found the said lipstick smeared far and wide.
After Sesame Street a parenting channel came on. While scrubbing the lipstick off of Isaac, cleaning up spilled apple juice and crawling on all-fours searching in vain for the purple marker top, I listened to the speaker proliferate on the importance of playing with, reading to, and interrelating with your two year old.
Gee, I'd love to.
Later, I took Isaac with me to do grocery shopping at the commissary. He climbed happily into the front of the cart then waited patiently for me to buckle him in. As we wheeled thru the parking lot to the store, Isaac threw his head back and smiled up at me - those big, beautiful, brown eyes sparkling. My heart was his.
Suddenly it hit me that in a very short time he would be too big to sit in the front of the grocery cart. There would be no more toddlers for me to mommy! No more sticky hands and snotty noses! No more Elmo! No more Thomas Tank Engine! I could hardly stand the thought.
I leaned over and gave my little buddy a hug. He smiled again and thru his arms around my neck. And when we got home...
I stretched out on the floor and read him a book.
