"I made a mistake!"

The infamous Terrible Twos are so commonly talked about and dreaded, I never expected to enjoy this age so much; I had no idea that 2 would be one of my favorite stages. Sure, I did a lot of babysitting as a teenager and I remember loving this age in other kids. But I figured that I was only seeing the best of these kids, kind of like a tv personality...anybody can look cheerful and nice for a limited number of hours each week, it's what 2 year olds did "off camera," or when the company went home, that I was a little leery about as we approached toddlerhood with Claire.

Of course we have our challenges, and it's not all fun and games at our house. I do agree that this can be a difficult age because toddlers want to be more independent, and their mental capacity may not always match up with their physical capabilities. It can also be difficult for adults to understand their words and behaviors at times, which is really frustrating for both sides and can lead to meltdowns (possibly on both sides, as well).

But what about all of the fun things about this age? Why is it such a secret that the Twos are also Terrific and Triumphant and Thrilling? I spend a good part of each day laughing at something Claire is doing or saying, or marveling over how quickly kids this age learn new things. Yes, it's annoying when Claire draws on the walls with black and red crayons, or on the tan leather couches with blue ink, or all over herself with every color marker within reach. But it's a rare occurrence, so far it's all been easily removed, and when she witnesses me noticing a new work of art for the first time she gets a concerned look on her face and points at the offending marks while saying dramatically, "Oh, no no!" Sometimes she'll even give me a "lecture" and explain to me that we only draw on paper.

Today in the car we were listening to a cd we're borrowing from the library, a compilation of jazzy kids' songs, when Claire started singing along. Her favorite track is Ella Fitzgerald's lively version of Old MacDonald. When I first caught a glimpse of her in the rear view mirror she was casually reclined with her hands clasped behind her head, elbows out. A few minutes later I looked back again to see her really getting into it, bopping along to the beat and waving her arms around. I couldn't help cracking up, and wishing I had a video camera permanently aimed at her. Even something as mundane as potty training has turned out to be amusing, with her joyful proclamations of "I did it!" or her know-it-all lectures explaining to us that everybody poops (after which she proceeds to list off all of our relatives and friends by name. If only they knew we were roping them into this!)

One of my favorite things about this age is Claire's ability to form strong bonds and relationships with people other than me and Mark. She even has inside jokes with my parents. For example, as their most recent visit with us came to a close, Claire was upstairs "helping" them pack when she got sidetracked and plopped down on the bed with a notebook and some markers. Mark and I were downstairs in the kitchen, but this is how my mom explained it to me: Claire would pick up a marker, take off the cap and place it to the side, and draw for a bit before replacing the cap and choosing another one. Then, again, she would take off the cap, set it aside, and draw for a bit. One time she took off the cap, set the marker down to the side, and almost started drawing with the cap before she noticed and exclaimed, "I made a mistake!" She dissolved into laughter, and to this day she can't say that phrase without laughing. Even while my mom was here over this last weekend, Claire would get a silly look on her face as she would look at my mom and repeat the phrase so they could laugh and relive the memory together.

I guess I don't know what I was expecting from this age, but clearly it was nothing near what we've been experiencing with her. It's so fun watching her personality and sense of humor develop along with all of the other milestones. All of this to say that I think the Terrible Twos have a bad rap. It's a misnomer. I hereby declare this age the Terrific Twos, and I hope that by renaming them I will inspire parents who are struggling with this age to step back and see things from another angle. If we go into something with a cloud like the word "terrible" hanging over us, we're bound to turn it into a self-fulfilling prophecy. So I will continue to enjoy the Terrific Twos, and look forward to the Thrilling Threes and Fabulous Fours. I can't even imagine the fun we have yet to come.