Why I Love Five Year Olds

"Mom, I'm going to tell you something that happened at school today, okay?" A story of her day offered up voluntarily. Already a good start.

"Torrey was playing with his dragons that he brought from home, and Mr. Allan said it was time to put them away.* Torrey started crying because he wanted to play with his dragons. Then Mr. Allan said, 'You know, if you made wings for those dinosaur toys we have, they would be almost like dragons.' So Adam and I went and got the dinosaurs, and we got construction paper and scissors, and we figured out how to make wings. We didn't even need a pattern or directions. And then Adam and Torrey and I put the wings on the dinosaurs for dragons, and we played with them. It was so cool."

*Toys from home aren't allowed at school--jealousy and squabbles surrounding private property, teachers' headache in keeping track of them, etc. But E. and others often ease the transition into the school day by arriving with a toy or book in hand and clutching it for a bit before 9am, when it has to go into their cubby until pickup.

***

10pm. I'm soaking in the tub with a book after a day of packing boxes. Edith comes into the bathroom. She wants to play her blue Disney compilation CD, having finished a previous bedtime CD, but she doesn't know where to find it. I suggest she seek help from her father.

"Okay. You know, I bet you think I'm kind of like a college kid. I mean, I do some crazy things like a college kid. Like listening to that loud music alone in my room. I don't know why I do that. I mean, like when Simba just can't wait to be king? Yeah, that's loud music. I'm like a college kid."

Starts to back out of the bathroom and pauses to look at me. "You know, that looks relaxing. Good night."

***

Why I Love 1.5 Year Olds

...or at least, this 1.5 year old. Alice has started tantruming, in her own special way. When you deny her something she wants, she knows she's supposed to prostrate herself on the floor in protest. (Must have gotten the 18-month memo.) But there's no need to be reckless about it. Staring you down with a poker face, she carefully lowers herself to the floor, turning her head once to glance and make sure she's not putting it down on something awkward. Having assumed a supine position, she spreads her limbs and adopts the relaxed attitude of a yoga class participant post-workout. It might be a posture of total release...except for those eyes still boring into you.