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* A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2017*

Matteo:  Halfway between sweetness and curiosity is where your little heart lies.  You picked these flowers for me on our walk, but you kind of forgot to give them to me once the idea of putting them under the garage door popped into your mind.  You really wanted Mama to have them, but first they needed to undergo a load-bearing experiment.  They actually survived (mostly) intact.

Lilah: You are two!  Mostly sunshine with a little bit of hurricane mixed in.  This is how I describe you.  You are a happy girl.  You love to smile and laugh and dance around the living room.  You are quick to say and do whatever Brother says and does, echoing his excitement and insistence perfectly.  You definitely have a mind of your own, though.  You throw yourself on the floor with great panache whenever you don't get your way, crying with open-mouthed exaggeration to underscore the severity of the offense committed against you (usually because we don't let you color on the walls with a pen or eat something that is not edible).  You give hugs and kisses freely to anyone who asks and you are always willing to serenade us with your rendition of your favorite song "L'esercito del selfie," which you would happily listen to on repeat for days.  You are a lover of popsicles and ice cream and goldfish crackers.  You will also eat bowlfuls of pasta and rice and green beans.  You are not a fan of sitting in your chair while you eat or sitting in your car seat for extended periods of time.  You love to swing on the monkey bars with a little assistance and to shout "wheeeee!" with great delight while going down the slide.  You are a true gift and I am so grateful that you came into my life two years ago.  Happy birthday, my love.