Maui Fun

Dear Avery at 22 months,

Dear Avery,

This month you discovered that snow, that cold white stuff, can actually be a whole lot of fun.  The last few Tahoe trips have mainly been indoor experiences for you.  Gloves just weren't your thing and then ouch, cold, get me back inside!

All of us went for a three day weekend and the first morning I bundled the two of you up in your snow outfits while your father was out on a backcountry ski expedition.  I wasn't sure if the outing to the front yard would last two minutes or an hour.  You allowed the gloves to go on, fingerless thin fleece, and out the door we went.

And, then, you played in the snow.  You grabbed handfuls of it, sat in it, and decided within minutes that this white fluffy stuff was really fun.  Zealand pulled out a plastic sled and I decided to try walking with the two of you in tow into the forrest.  With my child carrier backpack on for backup, off we went.

The sled was a cheap orange sliver of plastic with a scratchy rope at one end, but what a blast we ended up having.  Somehow, it wasn't even that difficult to pull the two of you along the bumpy, snow covered path.

We sang songs and the three of us made our way down the hillside, where the next day Zealand would shoot off like a rocket down the hill on the sled, and peacefully strode along.  I marveled at how our morning was expanding bit by bit into a winter adventure when moments earlier I wondered if our fate was to be trapped in a cabin with few toys and hours to kill before dada came home.  Suddenly here we all were.  You take one step and then another and whole new vistas open up.

At one point we stopped and you and Zealand hopped off the sled to play in the snow.  And, girl, you let loose.  You walked toward the billowy drifts and plopped face first in laughing and barely able to get up fast enough to do it again and again.  Zealand followed your lead and soon the two of you were lost in the moment of childhood thrills.

After a bit I scooped you up mid-plop and began the trek uphill.  Your snowsuit was cotton, after all, and I didn't want the last memory of snow to be tearful, cold and wet.  It wasn't.  We shrugged off our snow clothes once inside and topped off our morning with a snack of macaroni and cheese, flushed cheeks and all.

I wonder sometimes the impact of second born on your personality and also having an older brother who can do many things already.  All of your "firsts" happen in the wake of a dynamic older brother who can already ride a bike, guide a sled down a steep snowy slope, and ski a bit.

I know this will even out over time as your abilities began to equalize and two years begins to seem slight.  In the meantime, you are not without your own bit of power and panache.  Often during our weekly play dates with Zealand's friends you hang back a bit watching and sucking your thumb, asking to be held.  Once it is just the three of us again, Zealand often turns to you for direction.

You might grab a baby stroller and doll, and boom he needs to do the same, asking for his baby and stroller.  You confidently march down the hall and within minutes he is behind you doing the same.  It is a fascinating dynamic since I often observe the older child holding sway over younger ones played out over and over again.

Zealand follows you around mimicking your actions and, if you stop to ask for a ba ba, he asks for a ba ba too.   He will take off his shoes if yours are off, and the two of you go on and on trying your best to have and do as the other one is having and doing.  And on and on.  Recently the two of you have started announcing "I won."  You have appropriated this spot on and add, with great emphasis, "No, Avy won."

All this to say, you hold your own quite well and this is no simple case of one following the other.

Your language skills continue to grow.  Your enunciation and ability to speak in clear sentences is impressive, sometimes uncanny.  You ask complete questions, such as, "Mama why did you say that?"out of the blue, it seems.  And, you have a unique, sing song way of turning phrases into a rhythm, "walkin' to see the kitty" as we walk down the court to peek at our favorite cat who is often perched in our neighbor's window.   Or, you ask to "sit on the mama's lap."

You are a sweet little bug who excels at moving with the flow of our family life.  And, you have found your own ways to direct our flow so it bends and swirls around an almost two year old in ways that allow Miss Avery to shine.  A nice balance so far.

We all love you dearly.
Love,
Mama