The Sweetest Kiss

There have been a lot of changes in our house, most of which have centered on our two-year old daughter and her transition from baby to little girl.  We were feeling like she was ready for us to put some more trust in her.  The first step was the change to a toddler bed, which is always scary, especially if the toddler shares a room with a light-sleeping baby sister.  But, she did well, only fell out once, and only ruined one of her sister's naps.  The next step was potty training.  That is a commitment for the whole family.  It means constant vigilance by the parents, and added responsibility for our four-year old son who jumps in to prevent the baby from climbing up or falling down the stairs while the parent who is home assists the girl on the potty.  Again, she is doing very well.  Interestingly, she seems to rise to the level of trust we place in her.  Not only is she more obedient, but she has greater confidence in using new words and learning new things.  She feels older and bigger and acts how she feels.  Even her humor, which has always been advanced in my opinion, has become more subtle.  After reading a book to me (in her way) and saying her prayer (again in her way), she kissed her mom and brother and hopped into her "big girl bed."  I knelt down next to the bed and sang some songs with her.  Because she is getting into the "my do it" stage, she wanted to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to me all by herself -- "Twinkle twinkle little star, how wa wa wa wa wa are . . ." and so on.  Then I asked for something she always refuses to give me, recoiling and giggling to tease me, a kiss.  After teasing me  a little more, she said, "My do it," and leaned toward my cheek . . . and blew as hard as she could -- a zerbit or raspberry or whatever it's called.  We both started laughing, she because he knew she was tickling my cheek and me because she caught me off guard with her humor (and slobber).  It was a kiss I won't soon forget.