Is this when we start turning grey?

Be afraid, be very afraid… this petite 2 and 3/4 year old isn’t scared of heights (or much else!).

Term 3 started today for Charli. Dan started work late to help with the school run and dropped one happy girl off at class. Afterwards we drove Dan into the city and stopped by Waitangi Park (close to Dan’s work) for a coffee in the glorious sunshine. Sophie found a new burst of climbing confidence and shouted from the highest possible point of the playground, ‘Take a photograph!’ – she was so darn proud of herself. But all Dan and I could think was, ‘That girl is trouble!’ – in a nice, worried kind of parent way!

Last week she found a beer bottle on the beach at Houghton Bay (a rare sight as the beaches are normally exceptionally clear of litter round Wellington) and I took this snap, which instantly makes my mind fast forward 15 year’s and then reverse back to the present day at double the speed… I just don’t want to go there! Mantra for today, ‘Live in the present, feel your inner being…’

Sophie – you’re one special young lass with a heart of gold. I often call you ‘Peacemaker’ and you really care for everyone with genuine depth and wisdom beyond your years. You’re a comedian too and have everyone you meet in stitches. You share your love selflessly and shy away from conflict (though you can stand up for yourself when necessary!).

You are fiercely independent and having been out of nappies for months (day and night) you are now choosing your own clothes, dressing and undressing by yourself (even those fiddly socks) and beginning to recognize words and letters. You can count to ten and understand the value of any number of items up to ten. You love to draw, play with cello-tape (though have yet to live up to your big sister’s class act of cello-taping Grandad’s golf clubs together) and cut (thankfully just paper… so far – please don’t follow in your big sister’s footsteps and give yourself a mullet at the age of 4!). You also beat me at ‘Guess Who?’ all the time!

You sing to yourself all the time in the sweetest voice and are such a very happy, soul. You don’t like your hair being brushed or combed and, actually, dreadlocks kind of suit you! Thank you for bringing so much joy into our lives. We are so very blessed. In a few month’s you’ll turn three and we wait with abated breath at what adventures you’ll seek out. I should add that you’ve said quite a few times, ‘I don’t want to turn 3, I want to stay 2 forever!’ I have to say you really are a delightful 2 year old and I wouldn’t mind that at all (well, perhaps a little bit…).

Now I’m off to lather on the anti-wrinkle cream and look for grey hairs!