You all know that we've had our challenges with Q. She was kind of a sickly baby for a little while, and pretty fussy/reactive thereafter. I always worried when I saw her with other kids/babies her age, because they invariably seemed more outgoing in comparison. Q has made it very clear right from the beginning that she is neither a social butterfly nor a people-pleaser. But sometimes I think that I'm so nervous about bragging, that I fail entirely to mention the wonderful things about her. Because she is a pretty awesome kid, and to be honest, it's good that she's not a social butterfly (for my sake). That means I won't ever feel pressured to throw her big birthday parties with lots of kids and activities, or take her to really crowded events. I am easily overstimulated, and it appears that she inherited this trait. After seeing her "play" at the park with a couple of friends this past week, I started worrying about whether she had autism (she totally doesn't--she's just very introverted and introspective). So it's definitely time for me to write down all the things I love about her.
So, if you have another child/grandchild of the same age and think that you will be put off by a bit of bragging, now is the time to stop reading! Because I'm going to tell you some of my favorite things about Q.
1. She loves to read. LOVES it. If I don't put any sort of limit to reading, she will bring me book after book and have me read to her for an hour or more (once I timed it and finally had to stop her at an hour and a half, because I was getting tired!). I hear her talking to herself about the things we read about. She sits quietly and doesn't fidget--she just leans against my arm and listens contentedly.
2. She's a really good eater. I VERY rarely have to fight with her at mealtime. She has one small snack (in the afternoon), and generally doesn't ask for any more snacks throughout the day unless she sees someone else having one. This means that she is nice and hungry at mealtimes, and usually finishes everything I put in front of her. She is also one of those crazy people that likes veggies (which, I assure you, she didn't inherit from her father or I--we just got lucky!). This morning, she insisted that I give her veggies sticks with her cereal for breakfast. The only time she doesn't get her recommended daily intake of veggies is if I neglect to offer them to her. Even if she doesn't particularly like something, she will make herself try several bites before rejecting it.
3. She absorbs information very well. I think this goes along with the reading. She's getting to an age where I'm able to teach her fun things. She knows her colors, shapes, ABCs, and how to count to 10 (or more--I'm not sure). Now we've moved on to more complicated shapes (rectangle vs. square, oval vs. circle, octagon) and are working on recognizing the alphabet by sight. She can also say The Lord's Prayer, the days of the week, and can point out many (not all) of the Canadian provinces. She knows the difference between evergreen and deciduous (that's from a Fancy Nancy book!). I'm not convinced that she's smarter than the average 2-year-old (and truly, I would rather her be compassionate and love others than I would her be the smartest), but she loves to learn and absorbs facts like a sponge. I think most children are like that. It's one of the wonderful things about them.
4. She's thorough. Whether I taught this to her or she inherited it, I don't know. But I am teaching her about chores and completing them correctly. She puts her dirty clothes in the hamper (and if her first toss leaves the arm of a shirt hanging over the hamper, she'll walk over and tuck it all the way in). She helps me unload the dishwasher and puts all the silverware in their correct slots. When she cleans up her toys, she puts them in the proper box/slot. And she is learning, albeit slowly, to be more gentle with her vast book collection.
I've been recollecting lately that she no longer looks that much like me (here's some photographic proof), but I still see a LOT of my personality in her, and it often makes things easier because I can understand her so well. I am genuinely loving watching her personality develop, and I can see the makings of a wonderful woman. I wouldn't have her any other way.
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