Penny Jane: Two and a Half

Our little goose, you are two and a half today.  You might not remember this, but I took you out for photos last night and you walked around the entire neighborhood without being carried or riding in a stroller.  You are so big and independent now that sometimes I forget you are still just a child. 

It's amazing how we could love you so much and be so enamored with watching you grow.  You blow my mind sometimes with how your brain works and how much you are absorbing everything that goes on around you.  I have to strategically stay one-step-ahead of you with my own thoughts and planning or you would run circles around any attempt to shape you and channel your energy.  

I'd be withholding information if I didn't mention that these last six months of parenting you have been full of the challenges and all the very tests of patience that come with having a two-year-old.  You are strong, opinionated, and very very smart.   These are character traits that, in a toddler, can make a mama very very tired; but will make you a wonderful woman someday.  Your blue eyes can light up the room and the gap between your front teeth is ever endearing.  You are tall and narrow for your age.  You can almost dress yourself.  You can completely undress yourself.   

Here, I'd just like to make a note of my favorite little things that I never ever want to forget about who you are at this precious age.

Ok, so, here we go...

Proper use of: "Actually, Also, Exactly, Because, Already, Of course, Probably, But, Sorry, Wonderful."

Wanting the "whole fang" or "a lot" of something.

Never Ever.

"It's OK though."

"I don't finks go." ('I don't think so' means 'I don't know')

"Tada!!  

"I can? Oh thank you!

Knock Knock Jokes and "just makin' jokes"

Earning 5 cents commission for feeding the dogs by yourself, which takes you about five minutes to do instead of thirty-seconds like it takes me or daddy.

Hugging \ Almost smothering your baby sister with love.

Your "guys" - the family that lives in your dollhouse, who you constantly sneak into your bed with you at night even though you aren't supposed to have any plastic toys with you when you sleep.

How your teacher at church told us that you sorted all the crayons, extracting all the pink and purple ones.

Saying "my" in place of "I"... Example: "My like pink strawberry ice keem."

Opening and closing doors for other people.

How you pretend with your toys using the highest, most squeaky voice possible.

Reading reciting books.

Your sweet little stutter, which started to develop right when baby sister was born.  We hope you know that it's ok that it takes you a long time to say things, and that your speech and language development is going to be just fine.

How you has a way of discreetly finding other people's purses or bags and rummaging through them to determine if there is anything in there that you want, such as fruit snacks or makeup or anything that might in any way resemble a wrapped present.

"Tan I do such and such"

Totoro and Ponyo and other Japanese animated Disney movies.

Dancing with your head, and swinging your arms like you're running.

Where the Wild Things Are, and roaring your terrible roars, rolling your terrible eyes, et. al.

"May I please be excused."

Feeding us food from our plates and then telling us "Good Job" for eating our dinners.

Hide and Seek, wherein you tell us where to hide, then count to ten with your eyes open, and say

"Ready or not, here my come!" -- or, if we're It, you'll tell us where you're going to hide or say "I'm in here!" where we start looking.

Pronouncing "sp" as "f" to make words like fecial, ficy, foon, fill, and playing "I Fy".

Your polka-dotted high-tops and Chuck Taylor Converse shoes.

Your soft, fine toddler mullet and the fierce resistance I've met on my journey to try to brush and comb your hair on a regular basis.   How you still hate having your hair washed but are finally getting it that if you just look up to the ceiling, the water won't get in your eyes.

Minnie Mouse, Small Minnie Mouse, Giant Minnie Mouse, Cinderella Doll, Cinderella Soft Doll, Brown Bear, White Bear, Pink Bear, Elmo.... and all the other soft things you like to sleep with.

Penny Jane, we love you so much. Happy half-birthday love.