Miss 2 on a crazy learning curve

Miss 2, going on 3 (in February), is having one of those developmental leaps that all parents are familiar with. It’s a fun time (and very busy) stage, but glorious to be a part of her daily discoveries and learning.

She’s singing her alphabet, recognising letters, shapes, all her colours and numbers and counting objects up to ten. As well as all these skills she’s painting, jumping, climbing and playing in a wonderful world of her own imagining.

We have some hilarious conversations and I frequently find myself playing ‘rescue missions’ of various animal teddy bears – or find myself acting the part of someone ‘stuck in lava’ being pulled out!

We frequently get so caught up in activities and play at home that it’s midday before we know it. But when we finally get out – usually in the afternoon – it’s so nice for me to have the opportunity to focus purely on what’s happening, as well as engaging in the learning and playing. All housework is out of mind!

We had one of those lovely ‘milestone’ moments yesterday, at Te Papa museum in Wellington. Alice has been jumping for a while, but her older sister has been encouraging her to jump with a little more height… and that’s what happened in the dinosaur pit yesterday…

Later, in the wonderful ‘Nature Discovery Centre’ at Te Papa, the girls made things out of scrap bits and bobs, with Alice trying to cut with scissors and helping to make a lovely little creature…

And at the library on Monday, after a swim (she’s swimming unaided – with a float jacket – and is asking every day to swim!), she was talking away whilst building with the blocks. I stopped and marvelled at her vocabulary and imagination.

“I’m doing very good. I’m building the three little pigs house. I think my house needs a little more. There! Back on track.”

I often wish I had a pen and paper handy to scribble down some of the hilarious things she says – but she talks so fast (and moves from one thing to the next with such enthusiasm) that I barely have time to do anything.

Whether it’s dancing with her teddy bears in her sister’s tutu…