I was sorting through these pictures, the last ones taken of the girls and me, when it occurred to me. Today is my last day officially having “two under two.”
I have a few friends who are members of the “three under three” club, and although “two under two” isn’t quite as hectic, it’s definitely a crazy phase of our lives that I want to remember. I’m not sure if its her age or her natural disposition (or both) that has made E.V.’s transition to big sister so easy, but I’m thankful to have two little ladies so close in age. When I tell people that my children are 21 months apart, I’ve had people give me the wide-eyed “yeesh” look, echo stories of empathy of when they went through that young-and-close-together phase with their own kids, and even try to make me feel guilty. It’s funny because to me 21 months is the perfect difference in age, so when I’ve encountered those nay-sayers, it only makes me chuckle in the inside. I don’t really care that sleep is sparse, that saying “Don’t smother your sister!” is like uttering “um” to me lately, and that many times I’ve got a baby on each hip as I try to navigate daily chores. I love both of them to pieces and wouldn’t separate them even one day more to supposedly make things easier.
As Emma Vance and Cricket get older, I know that being close in age will bring troubles (mainly in the “Boys” category I suspect), but it’s also going to create a bond between them as they go through school and life together, almost simultaneously. When we go through those inevitable rough patches with the girls, I want to remember these last three months when I was a *prestigious* member of the official Two Under Two Club, when things were so hectic that everyone told me we were crazy for having kids close together. You know what? They’re wrong. The past three months were supposed to be the hardest, and although they were challenging, they were also rewarding, joyful, full of growth and brimming with happy moments.
On my last evening before E.V. officially turns two, I was washing dishes when I heard Cricket talking up a storm and E.V. giggling. When I turned around, Cricket had the world’s biggest grin on her face — and bubbles all over her head. Emma Vance was standing over her with an empty bottle of bubble solution, smiling at me. They were both so happy be “playing” together that I couldn’t even be mad that Cricket’s hair (and the floor) was soaked. I’m sad to be leaving the Two Under Two Club, but I’m taking my silly, mischievous, fun, beautiful girls with me and proudly claiming my membership in the Two Two-and-Under Club. ;)
