Recently I discovered a rock and an acorn in the pockets of my son’s hoodie. His second birthday has just passed, and I feel we’ve entered a sweet spot in our family. He’s old enough to chatter—constantly—and I can understand most of what he says. He has ideas about how he’d like to spend his time, how he’d like to play, what toys he’d like to play with; he’s even begun pointing out a favorite shirt as I dig through the drawer in the mornings.