what I love about being two...

Our "Gaby" is two - and a half. Last night Stu and I were discussing that he is especially a sparkly, smiley 2 yr. old. He is wild and crazy - and generally a very happy child.
I love how when it's naptime, he gives into the idea when I offer to "hop" down the stairs with him - to go to his bedroom. We hold hands and he giggles endlessly as we exaggerately hop down the stairs. Mainly at night we pray together once he's tucked into his bed, but sometimes at naptime, he wants to pray too. We were thanking God for the day, and he adds "sanks for my cocodile bike". He LOVES his crocodile-cruiser bike (just a little blue bike with training wheels). Can he ride it? No - but he'll sit for the longest time - going far with just his imagination. He's getting old enough to spend time outside alone, now that he's learned to stay in our yard. I continue to check on him, and sure enough - he's still sitting on his bike. I've tried to teach him how to ride it, but no use - and why bother? He loves just sitting there. I go out and ask him how it's going, and he explains that he's going to run over that "birdie" - which is yards away. He gets off occasionally and checks under the seat to see if the "gas tank" needs to be refilled - and puts in gas because it does. His expression is of extreme delight - with dimples going deeply in his cheeks, and eyes that sparkle. "I wide my cocodile bike!" How can a person not love such a child?
He's "big", and proud as he collects baseball cards with his 11 yr. old brother - nothing is more exciting than to be part of the big boy world -and Damien has a special place in his heart for him. He's small when he asks to climb up on my lap with his favorite blankie, so we can "wock". He loves the attention of being rocked and sang to. He's very proud when he wakes up in the morning and exclaims "I'm dy - I'm dy!" Meaning in the pull-up department - and then gets a candy out of the jar - or in the case where he discovers that he isn't so lucky - "oh SOOT! My hammers (bob the builder pull-ups) are gone! No tandy cause my hammers are gone! Oh SOOT!" He's growing up too - he seems to think his particular job around the house is to unload the dishwasher - anytime someone opens it up, he comes scurring over to "help". Only sometimes the dishes aren't clean, so you have to stop him, which causes him to disgustedly stomp his foot - or if it is clean and he "helps", usually the spoons, etc. go in his mouth before the drawer... He means well...
When I look at Gabe - I dream of what he can do with his life - and pray that his life will bring glory to God. He might not be able to be president of the U.S. - since he wasn't born here - but what's stopping him from being the president of Ethiopia? He is so smart it blows us away sometimes. Or he may become a janitor in a high school that loves the students and shows sympathy to those who are different or have challenges to overcome. That would make me proud too. As a mother, I only play a part in his life - and as important it is - it is only a part and one day, I'll be able to sit back and see what picture his life had made.