This Is Age Two. And This Is Age Two with Three.

This Is Age Two.

Two is big wet open-mouth kisses.  Two is dancing to Elmo and Mickey Mouse.  Two is shouting, “I can’t like it!” when you don’t like something, as if you’re incapable of liking it.  Two is saying “I love you, mama.”  Two is discovering chocolate.  Two is asking for piggy tails.  Two is refusing piggy tails.  Two is big, tight hugs around your neck.  Two is demanding to go to the playground.  Two is loving her big sisters deeply and asking for them when Mom doesn’t give her what she wants.  Two is asking to brush her teeth.  Two is refusing to eat dinner.  Two is gobbling up your dinner and asking for more.  Two is newfound words and independence.  Two is making sure Mom is right around the corner.  Two is asking for the blue cup, and having a massive tantrum if it can't be found. Two is learning to sleep in a toddler bed but ending up in my bed during the night.  Two is potty training accidents on the living room floor.  Two is changing clothes 37 times every day.  Two is a tiny, high pitched voice with the best, most contagious laugh.

Two is love.  Two is overwhelming.  Two is overwhelming love. 

This Is Age Two with Three.  

Two with three means constantly shouting “where’d the third one go?!”  Two with three is figuring out who bit whom.  Two with three is a connection so deep they don’t know where they end and the others begin.  Two with three is playing ring around the rosie and all falling down together, laughing hysterically, and doing it all over again.  Two with three is savoring the moments when I can rock just one.  Two with three is kissing each other’s real and imaginary bo-bos in an effort to “make it all better.”  Two with three is waking up to a toddler on your belly and one on either side of you, too.  Two with three is three lovies, which must be found before bedtime.  Two with three is more fighting than you could imagine.  Two with three is never doing a quick errand, because quick errands aren’t possible with three two-year-olds.  Two with three means asking where their sisters are when they’re not all together.   Two with three is not having enough hands to hold everyone at the same time when they’re all crying and want you.  Two with three is never-ending conversations with each other and with you.  Two with three means always having three extra people in the shower.  Two with three means cheering each other on when using the baby potties.  Two with three means three toddlers inspecting said results in the potties.  Two with three is hearing them shout to each other, "no, you go to time out!  That’s NOT! NICE!”  Two with three means hours of time spent strapping three toddlers into carseats.  Two with three is being touched out at the end of every day.  Two with three is chorus of high pitched laughter that makes your heart swell even when you’re tired and frazzled.  

Two with three is love.  Two with three is overwhelming.  Two with three is overwhelming love.  

Two with three is different than two with one, but it's also the same--the love, the tantrums, the joy, and the infectious laughter are all the same.  Here's to surviving and savoring AGE TWO, whether you have one, two, or three.  

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