My daughter makes me laugh (or sometimes I think my 2 year old is really 20)

So Jeff is gone on an overnight camping trip, so I'm holding down the fort solo until tomorrow morning. It was actually a really good day, but the kids were starting to both get a little cranky around afternoon nap time. I thought I was handling it rather well, but Miriam walks up to me and says, "Mama, I'm not sleepy but I think I have to take a nap so Mama will be happy". I laughed and then thought, "Did my 2 year old just tell me that? Is this normal? She sounds like a teenager not a toddler".

Miriam is always saying things that crack me up because they sound like things that should not be coming out of the mouth of a 2 year old. The other day she walks up and announces, "Mama, I'm upset!" When I asked her why, she said, "Well...ummm...well because I'm sure there is something I want that I can't have!" She had no clue what it was, but she knew she couldn't have it. :)

Or also this afternoon Miriam is holding a couple of toy figures and she looks at me and says, "I'm not supposed to throw these. If I throw them, I get in trouble. I'll get a spanky on my bottom". I affirmed that was true, and then she grinned and chucked them across the room. I immediately told her she had disobeyed and would indeed get a spanking. She started crying, and I asked her why she threw them when she knew she would get a spanking. Through her tears she says, "Well, it just felt good to throw them!"

I love that little kid! When she gets excited everything about her lights up. She loves to learn and loves to express herself. She's a girl who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to tell you. Despite what it might sound like from the above quote, she is actually not defiant, just passionate. She feels things deeply and is easily moved both to laughter and to tears. She will hug any stranger she meets, but usually refuses to speak to them. Every single day I look at her and think that she is the most amazing and beautiful little girl in the world. Which is how every Mama ought to feel.

Miriam at her friend Bree's princess birthday party. She was so excited to attend we had to have a countdown calendar to the big day.

Playing on the zip line at the playground. It's actually pretty long and has a good jolt at the end, but she loves it. Every time we do it the other Asian parents are amazed that I'd let me 2 year old do it on her own, but Miriam has no fear at all of things like this.

Don't you wish you loved life like this more often?