Jemma, 22 Months

What with all my podium-tapping and lecture-giving yesterday, I failed to notice that it was the 27th and, therefore, another month gone by in the life of Jemma. Also, I never know the date. Also, I admit to sometimes digging through Annie's preschool bag two minutes before we're supposed to leave for school in the morning, instead of right when she brings it home the time before. So there: a few confessions to start this off.

Jemma. Whereas a month ago, I was still in shock that she was inching closer and closer to the two-year mark, today I am not surprised at all. She looks like she's two. She acts like she's two. She's even starting to grow into a few 18-24 month clothes, which tends to be the size my children wear until they're at least two-and-a-half! Must be all the . . . waffles?

She knows exactly what she wants, but tries to get it without having to ask. This leads to her repeating a sound or a single world over and over ("have it," "hold it," "more," and the dreaded "my") until I get it for her. I am trying to slow down, trying to force her to use a nice tone and ask for the object by name, followed by the word "please." This works, sometimes. She hates to get dressed, have her diaper changed, wear shoes, be strapped into the stroller, wear mittens, have her face washed off after eating. She loves to brush her teeth, stand up in her highchair, color, jump to music, ride the red tricycle really fast down the driveway and turn at the last second, talk on the phone, put things away where they belong, take care of dolls, and cuddle.

We've started giving her time-outs. When we go back in her room after a minute or two, she looks at us, holds her arms up to be picked up, and says, "Sorry." And whenever Annie has done something that requires her to apologize to Jemma, Jemma says, "Sorry" to Annie instead. She's just so good-natured; she wants everyone to get along.

These past few weeks since school started have been filled with a lot of Mommy-Jemma time that we never had before (last year, she was taking her morning nap while Annie was at school). We hang out together, often walking to the grocery store or taking a run in the jogging stroller. We have a snack while we watch some Sesame Street. We run errands and hit Starbucks (coffee, vanilla milk) at the mall or Target. We read books, build with blocks, draw with chalk, and do all those one-on-one things that she used to miss out on.