Raising a toddler is intense.  It is an in-between phase of existence.  The Munch is not a baby, but will sure as shit will cry like one over the most trivial things.  “I want my pink sparkly shoes not my gold sparkly shoes. WWAAHHHHAAAAAAA” which makes me want to send her back to the baby factory and get a new model.  But at the same time, a 3-year old also has some capacity for reason, empathy, compassion, and intelligent conversations.  The person The Munch is going to be is starting to flower, although still speckled with the base primal impulses of her infant past.

I don’t 100% trust her not to be a total dick at times, but now The Munch is at a stage where she is starting to be considerate.  It is like she is realizing that having a tantrum is not only boring and annoying for me, but also for her.  She gets the idea of being polite and patient.  So I like to bring The Munch with me most everywhere I go so she will be a part of my adult life and be exposed to my interests.  I can’t have her thinking all her mom is about is playing hide and seek.

But the more adult things I bring her with me to do, the more I get to hear her understanding of the adult world.  For instance, yesterday I brought Munch to watch my dance class at the studio I own and as we were leaving all these people were smoking outside.

“Mamma, I am so happy I love dancing with you.  And look Mamma, look!  Everybody out here is blowing stuff. Wow! Like dragons!”

To her smoking was this mystical act where people where exhaling magic from their mouths.  It was a pretty beautiful understanding of this rather toxic and deathly habit.

I then decided I wanted to watch the sunset and the full moon rise at the beach. So I packed up a dinner picnic and The Munch and I went on an adventure.  When we got there, it was so much more crowded than I thought it was going to be which made me irrationally irritated. Then The Munch started crying because I brought the wrong bathing suit and I kind of wanted to throw her into the woods.

Toni: Dude, are you seriously going to cry over what bathing suit to wear.

Munch: Yes. WAAHHHAAAHHHAA

Toni: It is kind of embarrassing with all these gross snobby people looking at me because you are crying.  Wouldn’t it be more fun to not cry and eat our picnic and enjoy life?

Munch: Ummm yes.

So we ate our dinner and luckily everyone started leaving. It was just me, The Munch, and the sunset. We went for a swim, and I swam out to the raft and showed The Munch my backflips off the high-dive.  You know, because it’s important to show off to my 3-year old.

Munch: Mamma those backflips are so cool!

Toni: I know, right? Sometimes Munch, you got to just do.  It’s important for Mamma’s to know they still got it?

Munch: Yeah.  When I get bigger, I will do that too.

Toni: You sure will.

Munch: I like watching the sunset with you Mamma.  When I get bigger, I am going to go all the way over there, and I am going to be in the sunset.

Toni: You are going to go all the way to the sunset?

Munch: Yup.  I am going to go far far away.  And you see where the sun is about to disappear? That is where I am going to go!

Toni: I think that is a really good idea. If anyone can get to the horizon, it’s you.

Munch: Look Mamma a star!

Toni: You know, you are supposed to make a wish on the first star of the night.

Munch: I wish that the sunset will never end.

Toni: But you know what? We can go watch the moonrise??

Munch: The moonrise! That is so silly!

Toni: I know, but it’s a full moon tonight

Munch: Where does the moon rise?

Toni: Behind us.  The sunsets over there to the west, and the moon rises behind us to the east.

Munch: That is so cool! The sun sets and the moon rises!

Toni: Lets go watch!

Munch: Look the moon!!! The moonrise is so pretty!

Toni: Isn’t it?

Munch: When I get bigger I am going to go to the moon!

Toni: I know you are Munch.

Sigh…. I didn’t have the heart to tell her the moon landing was a hoax.