Childhood calling

One of the perks of parenthood is the chance to relive the best parts of being a kid.

I don't just mean the holidays, but the books, the toys and the excitement that comes with each day. My baby reminds me every morning how much better it is to wake up happy, as she throws her feet down in glee and flashes that gummy grin at the first sight of my husband or me. It's the best part of my day. To her, and that itty bitty mind inside, there's so much to soak up from her surroundings that she can't stand to be in her crib any longer ... but oh how I wish she'd just give me one more hour :)

I love her curiosity and fascination with new objects, which of course are never her toys. When she grabs my cell phone or reaches for my water glass, it's like she's saying, "C'mon Mom, I'm tired of the same old stuff." When she stretched her arm out for my frozen lemonade push-up pop, I reluctantly submitted to her taste buds - and probably some swollen gums - and worried that with each suck, I was somehow breaking a million mommy rules. Secretly, I enjoyed the moment almost as much as she did.

The first time I took Vera to the library, it was if I was eight years old again. As I roamed the shelf-lined aisles in the children's area, I felt a thousand warm memories rushing back. With each book I recognized, I pictured myself curled up in my little room with a paperback, soaking up each page so I could move on to a new story.  I had such a thirst for reading, and as I read to Vera every day - while she tries to use the book as a teether - I hope I'm instilling the same love for literature.

For Easter, I took my time selecting just the right items for her basket despite knowing the only memory she'll have of receiving it will be the 44 pictures we took that day. I'm excited for next year when we can, very carefully, dye eggs and I can resume what my mother did when my brother and I were kids. She created a stencil of the Easter Bunny's foot and made tracks up to our door with powdered sugar. And, of course, left a chewed up carrot in the middle of the living room floor. She's always had a way of making things special.

When the extreme heat dies down around here, I'll lather Vera up in sunblock and take her out for her first summer dip in the baby pool, cherishing her small splashes and looking forward to when she can strap on water wings and kick around in a big pool. Next month, we're taking her up to the lake that's been in my family for generations. I hope over the years, she'll create as many fond memories as I was able to - diving off the dock, learning to ride on the Hobie Cat and feeling a bit frightened when it rises up at one end and enjoying an easy ride on the pontoon boat. Maybe she'll even learn to ski, an activity that was never my friend.

All of this has got me thinking ... maybe people become parents just so they get a second chance at firsts ...