On Many Subjects

Yep, that's right. The Divine Miss M's current preferred mode of transportation is self-locomotion. She is officially a toddler and toddles about everywhere, much quicker than I can get to her to stop her from pulling something down that should never be down.

Whew! For four hours last evening, between the times her parents dropped her off and the time I put her to bed, it was non-stop bedlam. I rescued (in no particular order) several DVDs, a porcelain doll, books of various sizes, the telephone, a box of envelopes, head phones for the computer, my Bluetooth headset for my cell phone, another box of envelopes, the paper for my printer, more books, the cat, a magazine, my brief case, a three pound hand weight, the DVR remote, the cat's water bowl, the cat's food bowl, a computer speaker, a notebook, a pencil, a pen, a Sharpie Marker, a five dollar bill, my cell phone, the mouse, my keyboard (at least four times), my computer chair, sofa pillows, toilet paper, a pair of sneakers, a rosemary plant, the newspaper, and external hard drive and the front door.

I am certain I forgot a few things.

I thought my apartment was pretty well baby-proof, but Miss M showed just how wrong a person can be.

It is amazing, however, to hold that little girl and give her a bottle of milk before she settles in for the night and to feel such overwhelming and intense love that it nearly takes my breath away. And when I went to bed only an hour later, I watched her sleep for the longest time, marveling at the tiny little person that is at the same time, delightful, wonderful, aggravating, exhausting, precocious, and exhilarating. The ball of energy slept soundly, holding her blanket close to her chest, her pacifier tucked safely between her lips as she suckled in her sleep. Such an innocent and alarmingly sweet person! How can we keep her in this state of innocence for the rest of her life, I wonder? Perhaps we aren't supposed to. I only know that I am eagerly awaiting the days and years to come as she grows into an adorable young lady.