Snapshot of Marin at Two

In technical terms, Marin is 25 months today. But at two, enough is enough with defining age in months. Am I right people? I mean, also technically speaking, I turned 392 months yesterday, but when asked how old I am, I reply simply, 32. I swore I wasn't going to be one of those moms who when asked the ages of her children responded in months beyond 24. And I'm keeping that promise. Once moms start spouting off numbers like "185" and "246" you have to be a lot better at math than I, to figure out how old their kids are in years. Today Marin is two; in August she'll be 2 1/2. My only diversion might be that if you ask me next January, I might tell you she's "almost three"- either way, I'm done with the months for Marin.

There. I'm off my soapbox and on to what this post was really all about. Marin at two. Here is some of what she's got her hands into and brain wrapped around these days:

- She recently watched her first movie at Grandma and Grandpa's. Toy Story. She LOVED it. So much so, that the next weekend she watched Toy Story 2. Loved that too! You should see her watching. She was jumping up and down, yelling "Oh No! Oh No! In 'da airpane! Get out!" At a sad part she came over to me with her bottom lip stuck way out saying, "Sad, Mommy." Special thanks to Pixar for making these movies entertaining for the parents as well. I actually asked to pause it when I had to go to the bathroom. I can assure you this never is the case during Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

- Another love of Marin's: school. So much so that she wants to go every day. When we drive by she shouts, "Look Mommy! I see school!!" Then she asks, "I go school 'morrow?" She loves to go and "pay friends". She loves her lunchbox and carries it in to school all by herself. When we pull up she tells me, "I see Lea, Mommy." Lea is her favorite friend. Lea is three, and she tells Marin she's going to teach her all about being a princess. Lea's mom suggested to her that maybe she should teach Marin about something like numbers or letters, but Lea was holding firm on princesses. Marin makes a craft every day at school and is so proud of it. She tells me every day, "I made it, Mommy!" We display her crafts very proudly around our house. Our wall by the back door looks like a preschool. Marin's teachers tell me that she is doing very well, and that you can not tell that she's the youngest in the class. The older children apparently really like Marin and call her their baby.

- Marin plays very well independently. This is really nice, especially as it is getting harder and harder for me to get down on the floor to play dolls. Still, she loves to "helping Daddy" with his projects saying, "Daddy tools. My tools.", as she gets about an inch from whatever he's doing. She also likes to help cook saying, "I cook!" so we've had to have some really stern talks about the hot stove. Next stern talk: strangers. The girl's not even a tiny bit shy. And she'll do about anything for candy (or as she calls it, "cannie").

- Please and thank you have become an automatic part of her vocabulary as she says them without much coaching at all.

- She loves to play dolls. She dresses and undresses them, and puts them to bed saying, "Nigh-nigh baby. Sleeeeep Tiiiiight!" She also rocks her babies in her arms singing, "Rocket Baby Treetop"

- On Thursdays we have Storytime at the Library. It's a little class that I signed her up for where we read stories, sing songs and learn rhymes. She really enjoys this time and cuddles up on my lap, which is the best part for me. After storytime we stay at the library and read new books and do puzzles. She especially likes Clifford books, although she has never seen the cartoon. Marin loves books. She reads them constantly at home, taking piles off her shelves at a time, and often telling me, "I read, Mommy." Then she makes up a story about what she sees on the page and "reads to me".

- Marin is officially a Cubs fan (if you ask me). She threw me a baseball a few weeks ago and I told her, Go Cubs! Now she yells "Go Cubs!" Jason says it's the first time she's disappointed him. I encourage her to tell him, "Go Cubs, Daddy!" When Daddy was out of town last time, she and mommy got matching Cubs hats and were sure to have them on when he got home. Please join me in making sure she is not a Cardinals fan.

- She loves to have dance parties and listen to "mookicks". She tells me, "Dance, Mommy! Moo-kicks!"

- Marin appears to like Math, which is completely beyond me. It's one of those moments when I am starkly reminded that it took two to tango. I am ALL for girls that are good at math, so I'm encouraging this with gusto. My dad is certain that she'll be an engineer. Auntie Molly, Aunt Katy, Aunt Lindsay- you all love math. Have at 'er. Of course, you may have your work cut out for you. Although she counts everything in sight, it currently goes like this... "two, fee, nine, 'leven".

- She does know her colors though. And she loves to tell me, "new room PINK!" I love the way she says, "red, owange, lellow, geen, boo, pink, puwple."

- Marin had her first dentist appointment a few weeks ago. We were glad to learn that things are just as they should be, her habits are on track, and she's eating all the right things. She went to a pediatric dentist and it was such a nice experience for both of us. He said that she is working on getting eight teeth in right now. Ouch. Four of those have poked through significantly but not all the way, the other four are her two year molars, which have yet to work their way through. Marin likes to brush her teeth, but afterwards mommy or daddy have a turn to "really" brush them.

- Marin likes to watch Mickey Mouse and the News. Don't ask me where the news came from, but she asks me from time to time, "watch news, Mommy?" I think she knows that I watch the news, and its a sure fire bet that I'll let her turn the TV on. At Aunt Joey's house warming party recently, Marin crawled up in Aunt Joey's new bed, turned to me and said, " 'Mon (her way of saying c'mon) Mommy, Watch News."

- She still likes her bath. Lately she requests "buzzles" (bubbles). Once she's in the tub she likes to stretch out on her stomach and pretend she's swimming. She shows me how to blow buzzles with her mouth. We just signed her up for two rounds of swim lessons this summer- she can hardly wait to get in the water and stretch her sea legs.

- Marin likes to "sing" the ABC's. Mostly she dances around to the song singing, "Double-V, T, Q, S,Z" She likes to sing this song over and over and over and over and over and over again, and requests that you sing along too.

- Marin eats great, sleeps well and LOVES a party. Recently we were at Grandma's house before her book club came over. We were just about to leave, but then people started to show up and Marin insisted we stay. She guided me to the closet where my parents keep the folding chairs and told me, "Chair here, Mommy. I sit next Namma." Then she walked among the ladies eating their crackers and brie and grapes like she was 25. Luckily she hasn't started asking for wine. Yet. Not until she's 252 months.