I am a homeschool mom.

I need to keep reminding myself of that. I'm not let off the hook by the fact that my daughter is only almost-one. The habits I establish now will impact her education in the future.

Toddlerhood is not the part of parenting I've always looked forward to. (Is it for anyone?) Little cuddly babies, mmm, I could gobble them up. Preschoolers who are ready for Suzuki lessons? Bring them on. But a munchkin with more escape-artist tricks than Houdini who can only communicate through grunts and babbling? The responsibility scares me silly.

As I type it, though, I can't help but smile. The little grunting Houdini is also a giggling silly-bug who delights in sharing her Cheerios with me and crawls through the house picking up small objects to give me as presents. She sits in her car seat with her arms in the air, waiting for us to turn around and notice. When she hears music, she turns into a mini-conductor, waving her arms in time as if directing. And the smile. Oh, the smile....

Excuse me, I think I turned into a mush-puddle for a moment. :-) Anyway, this blog is about my daily challenges as I figure out how to guide my daughter through the toddler years. Plus lots of cute stories about the sweetest baby in the world, of course!