25 Months

We have descended into the uncharted territory of the two-year-old. The terrible twos! or the terrific twos, depending on how you want to look at it. That pretty much goes for everything in life, right? It's all about your perspective. It's wonderful to appreciate such a little beautiful presence in our life or AHHHHH! when will I have some time for myself! Right now we're still positive most of the time so we'll lean toward describing our son's first month in the terrific twos.

We went to the desert last week for the first time this year and the experience wasn't as enjoyable as we hoped, but Lucas was quite happy with the trip. It was a magical place for him with all the pokey plants and big rocks and more big rocks (another dig rock!) and planes flying overhead and a fire-pit and the soft quiet of emptiness. He played in the dirt for hours with his pals Naomi and Asher. Plus he slept like a baby instead of a two-year-old (wait, two-year-olds still sleep like babies) unlike the two people who brought him into this world. And he was blinded by the moon.

The moon couldn't get more full or more bright. It was more like a cool sun rising in the sky so that you weren't quite sure that it wasn't the new dawn on some distant lost world. It was freakin' bright! Flashlights were unnecessary and so was the dreamless sleep that never quite happens in the desert anyway. This time we cursed that round face with a twisted smile that laughed at the headache pounding the inside of your skull as you tossed and turned and prayed for a quick end to the endless torture. I would have revealed ancient secrets unknown to myself even if it meant the world would descend into a perpetual darkness of night, which is obviously the moons true intention. On a daily basis the sun is chased away from our day by that wretched demon who never looks back.

So, yeah, it wasn't our best camping trip.

But it was really interesting being there with a two-year-old compared to a one-year-old, which was the last time we went camping in the desert with Lucas. If you don't know, the desert flora has evolved dramatically throughout time into wicked prickly thorny shrubs that hook and barb you to death. Even the most benign plant somehow finds a way to scratch you. Well, the last time we arrived with Lucas and set him down on the sand he immediately started stumbling around causing our hearts to stop everytime an agave reared near. He'd only begun to walk a few weeks before anyway so you pretty much had to lurch around after him trying to imagine if he'd be more or less cute with an eyepatch. And this time...it was like day and I'd say a half-moon night. He was bounding around the plants, scrambling over rocks and skirting the fire with ease. He's become very comfortable with his ability to be upright and we've become very comfortable with him. I was hardly startled by anything he seemed to be doing and not once did I think of eyepatches or bandages. He even had his first rock climbing experience, pushing and pulling himself over and around rocks (another dig rock!) twice his size without once needing a hand from papa. I was really proud of him.

I guess the desert experience was worth it after all, and it's also become quite apparent that I adore my son...especially now that he's in his terrific twos.