Double D's- Daring and Darling

Yes, she is darling and so very daring. She'll try anything once, and maybe twice, especially if whatever she has done instills fear in the hearts of others. Being a parent to a true daredevil has shaved years off of my life while adding thousands of gray hairs to my head.

In my mind, adrenaline junkies were not born with these genes, but now I know different. My husband is incapable of doing things the way "normal" people do. He can master any sport in seconds and then has to change the limits to make it more fun. He jumps out of airplanes and does flips on his wakeboard. As I write of him, I'm reminded of one of his childhood school (1st or 2nd grade) photos taken of the entire class next to a jungle gym... but one kid is not in the group, he is at the top of the jungle gym waving with both arms, guess who?!?!

Our daughter has those same genes. At 17 months old, my parents gave her a tricycle. She rode on the seat for about 30 seconds, then she stood on the seat, then she stood on the seat with one foot. At three years old she loves roller coasters and begs me to drive faster. Climbing up and then jumping down from any surface is just a part of her day.

She scares me, infuriates me and makes me proud all at once. Going to the park is a practice in patience for me. I want her to be cautious but secretly love to watch her outperform the older kids. Where is the line between being outgoing and just plain crazy? I wish I knew. I question Dylan's ability to stay safe. I want her to grow and be happy without being stifled by an overly cautious mom. I struggle everyday with the balance of it. I don't want her to be afraid, just careful.