I have a cute video of Spot, so I tried to think of some counterpoint to the cuteness, some raw messiness to give depth to the adorability, but I’ve got nothing. Spot is cute like Dick is oblivious. She’s my favorite cuddler right now because she’s still small enough to nestle to my chest; she buries her face in my neck when she’s sad. She showers with me many mornings, and she has the cutest little body, the most-pinchable little buns. Sometimes I want to squeeze her and squeeze her. Whenever I wear earrings or a necklace, Spot tells me over and over “I like your earrings” “I like your necklace” and “You cut your hair, Mommy?”
Oh, I know something she does that’s annoying. When she doesn’t want to walk any further or eat any more vegetables or go up to naptime, she’ll drop down on her knees in the middle of the store or the living room, fling herself face down, and wail, “I’m too tired.” But no, that’s unbearably cute as well — who ever heard of using “I’m too tired” as a reason to get out of naptime?
Anyway, here’s a real author in favor of sentimentality:
If something inside you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal. So you must risk placing real emotion at the center of your work. Write straight into the emotional center of things. Write toward vulnerability. Don’t worry about appearing sentimental. Worry about being unavailable; worry about being absent or fraudulent. Risk being unliked. Tell the truth as you understand it. Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
The truth is (and at the risk of being a boring/bragging mom) two-year olds are cute. So here’s Spot (though I promise not to use this as an audition tape for So You Think You Can Dance):
spot’s elbow dance on Vimeo.
I hope she can always return to me when she’s done.
spot’s elbow dance 2 on Vimeo.
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If there were a 2 year old version of You Think You Can Dance, and my 2 year old was a judge, she would have a decent shot. He made me play it 3 times and almost broke my screen trying to show it his elbow.
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Boy can I relate to that quote!
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You’re right! She is irresistably adorable!
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I concur, two year-olds are the best!
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“Spot is cute like Dick is oblivious.” I’m going to relish that line for awhile because I like it.
And yes, two-year-olds are cute and Spot is darling. And thanks so much for posting that quote from Anne Lamott. I feel sort of justified now in having such an eclectic blog. If nothing else it is real. Absent and unavailable I am not.
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By the powers vested in me I would like to grant you permission to both think your daughter is adorable AND to brag about that adorable quality in a public forum. I further absolve you from seeming sentimental but on the contrary, endearing and honest.
See Spot do the elbow dance. Oh Spot! Dance Spot dance!
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Just one question Jane….can I have her? I’ll even do a two for one swap and then you’ll get TWO boys! They really are cute…. and they’re almost two. Although you may not want to shower with the two of them.
You keep making me want a girl SO bad! Curse you! By the way, I love that quote. That is something I am going to try to remember more when I post. Although I’m not too shabby at sharing my faults…
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One thing I enjoy most about comments is seeing which kinds of posts or ideas or quotes appeal to who (whom?) and why they relate. Speaking of eclectic . . .
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Gorgeous girl!
I think M and Spot could really rock some dancing together!! Now that we’ve found it (and that makes it sound more interesting than it is), I’ll have to post the video DH took of Matilda dancing one time. Although, I must say, Spot looks WAY more coordinated that M! 
When Spot has her tanties face down, does she stick her butt up in the air, too, or does she just lie down? Just trying to imagine a Spot tantie imposed on an M tantie …
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Oh, and I watched the video in the study with DH sitting adjacent to me at his laptop – he giggled, too, and agreed that Spot is almost as cute as M.
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hormones raging, friend?
that girl will make you want more
oh sweetness is Two!
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I am LOVIN the elbow dance.
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I think it’s great that you named this dance “the elbow dance.” Even just hearing the name, I was picturing Spot exactly as she appeared. Like that, JT’s animals are “tiger” and “bear.” Why not call them like they are…one’s a tiger and one’s a bear
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