My two-year-old daughter has not, so far, succumbed to the “Terrible” moniker – she’s still Terrific, Talented, Teachable, Thoughtful and Touching.  But mostly she’s Talkative.

We’ve come a long way since she first pointed to a cup and said “wawa,” two weeks before her first birthday.  Now it’s pretty much non-stop chattering – to me, to her stuffed animals, in her crib at night… Some of it is downright hilarious, especially when she repeats something an adult has said.  And yes, we now have to be very, very careful (I refer to the wince-inducing “crap!” episode).  But it is pretty funny when a toddler tells you she has “bad knees,” or says “oh my goodness!” when she drops something, or exclaims a gossipy, conspiratorial “I know!”

Every day she surprises me with new words.  A month ago I foolishly tried to write down her current vocabulary.  Once I got to 200 words, I realized it was far too late to start this endeavor.  She was a full-blown linguist at this point.

She mastered full sentences long ago, before her second birthday.  I do love it when she says “Mama go work at the paper; bye-bye, see ya, have a good day.”  She also just mastered “Telegraph.”  Our company never sounded so cute.  She’s unfailingly polite, too, with “please,” “thank you” and “you’re welcome” all down pat and used liberally.  This past weekend, she met me at the door with a handful of purple roses and, smiling, said “Happy birthday, Mommy!”  That was the best present ever, hands down.

She sings the lyrics to songs.  She fills in the last words in rhyming Dr. Suess books.  She even makes jokes.  When I was dressing her for outside last week, I was ticking off the attire: “Rain hat, rain coat…”  She chimed in with “rain…binkie!  Hahahahahaha!”  I love when she cracks herself up.

Of course, not every word delights and warms my heart.  She has adopted my exasperated “ come on!” a little too well.  And if I could go a day without hearing “again!” and “uppie!” and “what is [insert name of whoever’s in the room, on the television, or whatever stuffed animal is available] doing?” a million times, I’d consider it a spa day.

It is endearing when she talks to her babies and stuffed animals.  Not only does she do the voices for them – “Hi, Pooh!”  “Hi, Piglet!”  “How are you?”  “Fine, how are you?” – but she is quite the loving little baby-mama.  She puts them down for naps when “they’re so tired,” and says “Good night, sleep tight.”  And she’s big on hugging.  “Group hug!” she’ll command.  And of course, “kiss, too?”

Yup, so far, the Talkative Twos are pretty darn adorable.  Maybe she’s just lulling me into a false sense of security so she can slam me with the Terrible Threes.  But I don’t think so.  Besides, I’m sure she’d tell me.