She's changed a bit, eh? I must say, I think she's a lot more fun to have around now...but I don't know if I'll say the same thing a year from now. It may be that one and a half is the best age (though also potentially the most patience-trying?). When in the future will I ever be as excited about a new word, new snippets of a song we've been singing to Naomi for months, a new way of holding a pen, new attempts to write "letters" (she doesn't write them, but she thinks she is!), new expressions, a new ability to sit still for a book and fill in phrases in well-loved favorites, new steadiness climbing stairs alone, etc? Naomi's moods are as volatile as equatorial weather--brilliant sun one moment, drenching thunderstorm the next--and nowhere near as nuanced as the weather this far north. But it is refreshing in some ways because she's so straightforward about what she wants and how she's feeling (pretty good at labelling how others are feeling too...either "happy" or "boohoohoo"). In the process of learning to control our emotional outbursts as adults, I feel like we lose out on some of this simplicity. It's necessary and ultimately beneficial, but I think it's a real loss.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
One Year's Growth
This past week, we've had three birthdays in our little playgroup: Danielle Cheluchi Nef, the most gorgeous newborn *ever*; Shira Kurshan, the most beautiful, thoughtful one year-old *ever*; and Olivia Kang, the adorable witty two-year old who makes everyone else excited to someday be two! One year's growth makes a big difference. Here, for instance, is the bald Buddha-belly blob we referred to as "Naomi" just one short year ago:
She's changed a bit, eh? I must say, I think she's a lot more fun to have around now...but I don't know if I'll say the same thing a year from now. It may be that one and a half is the best age (though also potentially the most patience-trying?). When in the future will I ever be as excited about a new word, new snippets of a song we've been singing to Naomi for months, a new way of holding a pen, new attempts to write "letters" (she doesn't write them, but she thinks she is!), new expressions, a new ability to sit still for a book and fill in phrases in well-loved favorites, new steadiness climbing stairs alone, etc? Naomi's moods are as volatile as equatorial weather--brilliant sun one moment, drenching thunderstorm the next--and nowhere near as nuanced as the weather this far north. But it is refreshing in some ways because she's so straightforward about what she wants and how she's feeling (pretty good at labelling how others are feeling too...either "happy" or "boohoohoo"). In the process of learning to control our emotional outbursts as adults, I feel like we lose out on some of this simplicity. It's necessary and ultimately beneficial, but I think it's a real loss.
She's changed a bit, eh? I must say, I think she's a lot more fun to have around now...but I don't know if I'll say the same thing a year from now. It may be that one and a half is the best age (though also potentially the most patience-trying?). When in the future will I ever be as excited about a new word, new snippets of a song we've been singing to Naomi for months, a new way of holding a pen, new attempts to write "letters" (she doesn't write them, but she thinks she is!), new expressions, a new ability to sit still for a book and fill in phrases in well-loved favorites, new steadiness climbing stairs alone, etc? Naomi's moods are as volatile as equatorial weather--brilliant sun one moment, drenching thunderstorm the next--and nowhere near as nuanced as the weather this far north. But it is refreshing in some ways because she's so straightforward about what she wants and how she's feeling (pretty good at labelling how others are feeling too...either "happy" or "boohoohoo"). In the process of learning to control our emotional outbursts as adults, I feel like we lose out on some of this simplicity. It's necessary and ultimately beneficial, but I think it's a real loss.
