And Then He Was Two (Toddler Magic Replaces Baby Magic)

Gideon and Grandpa Dave (My Husband)

On Monday, our Grandson by love turned two. How in the world did that happen? It seems like only a month ago that I held him in my arms at seven weeks. Now, here he is, running, galloping, talking...and the baby is no more.

Oh, there are still hints of baby in his face and in his mannerisms. But every day, the boy takes over more and more. What a beautiful, magical child he has turned out to be. Is there anything more curious than a toddler? If so, I haven't seen it. He has a lust for life that can't be quenched and a memory that surprises me more every time I see him.

Mom and Dad threw a small party for him. There were eight of us. Maternal grandparents, parents, us, Aunt Kiki, and Gideon. It was so obvious that he knew the whole event was about him. You could see the glow in his face. Everything he did, he did with a secret smile. Look at that, he seemed to be thinking, every single person here is totally focused on just me. I must be pretty special.

The theme was Thomas the Train, as Gideon is absolutely crazy for trains. He plays with his train table at home at lot. There were posters, streamers with the different Thomas characters on them, a Thomas train in the center of the table, and all of the dishes and napkins were Thomas, too. Gideon kept thinking it was Thomas the Train's birthday!

We still have his birthday gifts wrapped and ready for him, as they will be things to keep over here. At this age, anything you buy is exciting to them. God help us when he's older and everything he wants costs a lot more money! One of his presents from Mom and Dad was a slinky. It was green and right away he cried, "Bracelet! Pretty bracelet!" and held out his arm. Grandpa Dave put it on him and he wore it proudly. There was a lot of fun with that simple toy. Grandpa Dave could make it do wonderful things that brought a loud belly laugh out of Gideon.

The cake was a big hit with him, too, this year. Last year he seemed a little overwhelmed and unsure of what to do with a cake. This year? Um, no problem. As you can see by the photo below.

This summer has been so much fun, taking him to the water park, watching him run and play in the back yard. He loves to mow our lawn with his mower. What do you think the chances are that will last into his teenage years? :)

Whatever the next year brings for new developments, I know Gideon will be driving, giving us front row seats to watch his race toward adulthood. I just hope the speed limit is 5 mph. I don't want his childhood to go too fast.

Thanks for taking time to allow me to share Gideon's special day. I'll be back soon...probably with more "Those Crazy Bohemian" posts...but one never knows what will get into my head between now and my next visit with you!

Caddy Rowland is a novelist and painter. Her social media links follow.

To find out about her novels (including The Gastien Series, a story that begins with a bohemian artist in France) visit http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005FW8BZE
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Excitement! Babysitting Gideon Full Time

Today I start a new adventure.  I will be Gideon's full time babysitter every weekday (and will probably get some other time in, too!).  It will be about 22 to 30 hours a week, giving me time to write (and do a little painting).I hope my fibromyalgia can take it!

What an honor to be such a major part of this child's life.  He will learn so much from me. Being a one-year-old, every day is a new adventure for him.  I am going to make sure that he learns new things every day and has a lust of life that keeps him always wanting to learn.

I fully understand that I can't just be the "fun" grandma.  Not when so many hours of his formative years are spent with me.  From me he needs to learn that there are boundaries and how to interact with others.  How to share and how to be polite.  But he will also learn a deep respect for nature and others, a solid sense of self confidence and self worth and he will know that he is unconditionally loved. And we still will have a whole lot of fun.

Right now he is still a baby, just beginning to become a toddler. There is only so much one can "teach" him in regard to boundaries and interaction.  But it is not too early to teach him the important things.  This is what I tell him a couple of times every time we are together:

You are smart.
You are creative.
You are cute.
You are kind.
You have a fabulous sense of humor.
You are a great listener and a wonderful decision maker.
You can do anything you set your mind on, so choose wisely.
You are loved.
Forever, you are loved.

He looks at me and smiles.  I know he is processing it. What a gift to help this child become a valuable addition to society, what a pleasure to help him enjoy the wonder of being on this planet. 

I am blessed.