Yesterday we went out to eat, and you did this little thing called climbing into a cupboard and hiding. I didn't realize the whole restaurant was watching you, until I heard the laughter. I started laughing too. You took your little body, contortioned it to squeeze into an empty cupboard, and then your little hand closed the door on yourself. The owner even came over to say hi, but then you got scared, and ran to dad. It's true what they say about the terrible two's, there can be some hard moments, but no one told me it is so much fun too.
Speaking of hard moments, we do lots of time-out's these days. It has to do with some of your favorite phrases, "Be nice! Stop it! Let go!" I pretty much know where you get these from (me). And you hit and push, which I don't know where you get it from, but it makes me sad. And so we have a time-out, and I hate to say it, but I have hard time not laughing. It usually starts with a mom or dad stare and a warning, and you look everywhere but at us. Feigning nonchalance, as you pick up a toy, and look at the walls, or ground. You sit in the time-out chair like, "No big deal, I love it here!" And the whole time I want to laugh, but don't, or I will lose whatever measure of authority I still represent. And then, fairly quickly, you say, "Sohwry mommy." And we are done. You have a stubborn little spirit, which I secretly love, but I also love how sweet and loving you are.
"Sohwry," is your favorite phrase. If I trip, or drop something, you always go, "Oops! Sohwry." Even though we explain, you didn't do anything.
You are still obsessed with dogs, so much so, that little dogs run away when you come running over. Ollie is very patient as you climb on his back, and try to get him to play, "ashes" with you. Speaking of ashes, you could play that all day long, or "under" where we hid under the covers. You don't walk anywhere, you skip. When you color, you use all the colors of the rainbow, and fill the page.
You are a bit of pack-rat, and now need to go everywhere with 3 blankets, your baby, and your milk. If you get a drop of water on your clothes, or a bit dirty, you immediately start ripping them off (like at the restaurant last night). But you hate wearing bibs, so it can get a bit tricky. And you love your bath's, and your "dragon" towel. Our bath-time routine ends with me asking where my dragon is, and wrapping you up nice and tight.
I love you baby girl, more than I ever thought possible. Thank you for making every day a surprise, and giving me the greatest gift, of being your mother.
Every year we pick out a fresh tree. Scott has been trying to convince me for the last 11 years to buy fake, but to no avail. I agree the set-up, maintenance and take-down is much easier, but there is something about loading up the kids (kid in our case) and driving out and picking a Real Live Christmas Tree! Sure, it isn't as cool as actually going to the woods and finding on yourself, but we are a bit of City folks too. Scott and I have a very intense selection process. It needs to be only so high and wide (mini baby house,) look a bit like a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, with lots of spaces and gaps, but also be perfectly symmetrical (no weird flat sides.) And we always have the bottom freshly cut off. One year we didn't do that, and it didn't work out so well.
