Independence

This child.

This child dresses herself each morning, matching stripes with florals and purple shoes with red pants.

This child announces that she's going outside to play, and when her mother tells her to wait a few minutes, she waits until everyone is distracted and goes outside anyway.



This child insists on wearing her "snowman coat" when the temperature is 61 degrees.

This child wears her loud fleece hat backwards and refuses assistance to turn it around.

This child awakens at 6 a.m., walks to the kitchen, takes out a loaf of bread, slaps it down on her mother's abdomen, and announces that she wants break-ast. Now. Pweeeaaase.

This child resists naps.

This child resists bedtime.

This child is two. Very, very two.



She is the source of abundant joy and the cause of considerable consternation.

Her daddy says she's just like her mama.