This weekend Toddler Harbat looked different. Acted different. Was it how she walked, with a forward stride rather than a bow-legged waddle? Is it her clothes that are little girl clothes and not toddler clothes? Maybe it’s how much she talks, how she interacts with us, like another person rather than a three-foot curiosity. She’s growing up right in front of us and it’s breathtaking to see who she’s becoming.
Now she can help with chores, and my wife and I are inordinately excited when she can relay messages and transport items from place to place. While gardening on Sunday my wife needed a measuring spoon for fertilizer. TH came to the door, shouted for my attention, told me what to get, then carried it out to the garden. Amazing! And despite her capabilities as a carrier pigeon, TH is proving to be a great companion for all tasks, which are fun and new to her, whether it’s washing dishes or watering the plants. Being included in the Big People activities is a big point of pride and excitement for her, and I’m constantly underestimating how well she can do things. Pretty soon she’ll be wiping porridge from my chin and tucking the blanket under my feeble legs. And I’m sure I’ll still be amazed how capable she is.
Writer, architect, father, husband.