He was a tiny toddling child of two or three. Soft soled shoes and baby cheeks, with barely a wisp of hair to speak of. He was a goofy little tyke with a great sense of humor and a thirst for knowledge, soaking up information everywhere and never running out of questions. He was excited and passionate about everything from a trip to the zoo to a piece of string on the carpet – as long as mommy was there to hold his hand. And now…

He is my goofy, long limbed boy of seven with a long mop of hair that cannot be tamed without the help of a wash cloth or hair clippers. He looks older to me every day and I am constantly blown away by how smart and clever he is, how much knowledge he is capable of holding and understanding. His favorite thing in the universe is school and when he’s not at school (and even when he is) he’s thinking about time travel and Doctor Who and space ships and stars…

And then there’s her.

Yesterday, I am sure, she was a pudgy, sweet smelling babe, not even a year old. She was ninja silent unless she was upset and then all of Wisconsin knew about it. She was wise beyond her years with a stern expression which told you that she already had this world figured out and no comment was necessary.

Now my girl is nearly four and she has those same long limbs as her brother. She talks from the minute she wakes up until the second she falls asleep, a constant stream of chatter; questions, songs, temper tantrums and speculations – some of it is understood, much of it is not. She doesn’t let anything hold her back from her interests and marches into life unafraid, certain of her status as Princess Supreme – The Most Interesting Girl in the Universe.

A few minutes ago, they were babies, right? A few seconds ago there were soft, pudgy cheeks and bald heads. Now I find myself surrounded by long limbs and longer questions, not a baby in sight.