The End of Another Year

Oh Grace,

I cannot believe the year is ending today! I can't believe you're 3!  So much has happened in the past few months.  We're in Washington now.  The two months leading up to the move were filled with last visits with friends and family, chaos, and waiting.  The move kept getting pushed back which drove me crazy.

The movers came 10 days before we moved & packed everything up.  We lived in a hotel in Milwaukee for 8 days and it wasn't the best stay.  The first few days we had fun but then you and I both got very sick and ended up just laying around the room every day.  Three hours after we landed in WA, we were in urgent care.  You had a double ear infection and the start of a sinus infection & I had a bad sinus infection.  We hadn't realized it was that bad until after we landed in WA, then you really started to act sick.  We aren't ones to wait on going in, so we took you to the dr right away and were so glad we did.  Between us we had 7 prescriptions to fill!  Your daddy felt so bad that you were sick and away from what you knew as home, I thought he was going to buy half of the toy aisle at Walgreens while we waited for our medicine!  You ended up with a big stuffed animal, a doll, and a ball.  Then at checkout you spotted a display of m&ms, took one out & said "thank you."  All we could do was laugh...and get you the candy of course!  Thankfully, you'd slept on the plane so you never cried if your ears bothered you on the flight.

The house we rent now is awesome.  We went from a 1200 sq ft apartment to a 2600 sq ft house and it's wonderful.  You have a bedroom and a playroom.  I have a sewing studio and your daddy has an office.  We even have a guest room, which grandma and grandpa will appreciate.  You had so much fun just running around here those first few days!!

Overall, you've handled the move well.  You were nearly mute some days we were here the first month but recently you've started talking up a storm!  The other quirk you've developed is that you don't like to leave the house.  That's slowly changing but it's like you're afraid we'll move again or like you just don't want to go explore this new place.  You even hated going to eat suddenly and you've always enjoyed that.  We took you out yesterday and you enjoyed your meal.  Of course, it came with a free ice cream and you remembered that.  You drank your chocolate milk then said "ice cream...ice cream...ice cream."  We suggested you try eating lunch first.

You got a lot of smiles today because of your wardrobe.  You decided to wear the Halloween costume I made you (Dorothy dress) and the ruby red glitter shoes.  You looked sooo adorable!  It was funny to see a little girl dressed as Dorothy after Christmas though.

Speaking of Halloween, you had refused to try the costume on the whole time I was making it so the hem ended up being  a little long.  If I even held it up to you, you'd scream "YUCK!"  Thanks, Grace. :)  We were surprised on the big day though.  We were in the hotel room in Milwaukee & said, "Do you want to go get candy Grace?"  Well, for candy, you put the dress on right away.  You were pretty good at trick or treating.  Daddy had to hold your hand very tightly but you went up to houses with him.  You never said trick or treat but we did get a couple thank you's out of you.  In the car, the whole ride back to the hotel you said "thank you" to us over and over.  It was adorable.  Soon after, you fell asleep and poor daddy had to carry you through the whole hotel to our room.  He's a trooper though and didn't mind one bit.

We had Thanksgiving here three weeks after moving.  You'd been fussy all night the night before but I still had the big meal on the table at noon.  You slept through it.  When you finally woke up you were so miserable so we took you to another urgent care.  We were worried maybe your ear infections or sinus infection hadn't cleared up but they had.  The dr. told us you were just sick (as opposed to sick sick).

We flew back to Ohio the weekend before Christmas and spent four days.  You had just started talking more.  When I got off the plane with you I said we were going to see grandma & grandpa and they were here, right now.  You yelled "Yea!  Grandma! Yea!" and we ran through the airport together to find them. Oh Grace you are so loved.  There's not much better than seeing the close bond you have with them.  They played with you in the airport while we waited for our luggage and you had a blast.

We had three Christmas get togethers and your birthday party in just 3 days time.  That was a LOT to squeeze in on that trip!  You were fussy for a lot of the trip but I don't blame you one bit.  We'd just moved, we took yet another big plane trip to OH, there was a 3 hour time difference, lots of excitement, etc.  For your birthday party we kept it simple.  We filled the living room with balloons (about 80 of them), ate chocolate cupcakes with pink icing & ice cream, had you open presents and we were done.  You LOVED the room full of balloons.  Your party was a blast.  I just can't believe you're three.  Thankfully, you still like me to call you baby and hold you like a baby from time to time.  I think neither one of us are ready for you to grow up.

Flying back to WA was a bit miserable.  We knew how badly you were going to miss grandma and grandpa & I knew I was going to miss them, too.  At the airport you held so tightly to grandma's hand.  The whole time we'd been in OH, anytime people said goodbye, you'd grab ahold of grandma, grandpa, daddy and me to make sure we were staying with you.  We tricked you at the airport & I still feel badly about that but there wasn't a better way.  After we checked our bags, I told you "let's go potty."  You made grandma come with us but as soon as you & I went into a stall, grandma went out and they left.  Your daddy said grandma was just sobbing--we would have been, too, if we'd said goodbye.  When we came out, you immediately realized they were gone and threw yourself down to cry.  We were right by security though so we cheerfully said "Come on Grace, we gotta go!" and you followed grudgingly.  The rest of the day you refused to go anywhere alone with me, nervous that daddy would disappear on us, too.  I'm sorry baby.  We've seen you say goodbye to grandma and grandpa and at least an hour of sobbing is involved.  It really was for the best.

You slept through both flights but when we landed, you expected to see them.  At baggage claim, you made me cry because you were calling "Grandpa" and looking for them.  You handled them not being there pretty well.  I had a worse time with it!  When we came in the house, you started crying, angry that we were back here.  I wasn't too happy about it myself.  We spent the next day hanging out just watching cartoons together until it was time to run to the grocery store.  We went there to pick out a cake or cupcakes for your daddy's birthday (it was that day).  You picked out the perfect ones for him:  chocolate with pink icing.  You took 20 minutes to do it!   I guess you were just making sure you made the right choice.

We waited nearly 5 days before you Skyped with your grandparents again.  By then, you seemed to have accepted things.  You told grandma to "come" a few times and broke her heart a bit but playing with them through Skype seems to be ok.

You and I have been sick for the past week.  Christmas Eve you were sick so I rolled out the cookie dough & baked the cookies while you were sleeping.  Sorry, we didn't want you touching the dough and getting us all sick.  When you woke up and saw them, you tried to communicate with your dad by taking a cookie & a box of Cinnamon Toast cereal and pouring the cereal on the cookie.  "Momma" your daddy said "Gracie says these cookies need something on them!"  I whipped up some icing fast then.  We hadn't made those cookies since you were 2 the Christmas before.  I couldn't believe you remembered them but I was happy and excited that we had a tradition.  We assigned some cookies to you so that we wouldn't accidentally eat your cookies (and germs).  You had a blast frosting them, being so careful!

Up until Christmas Eve, we'd read books about Santa, talked about him a little, and watched tv shows about him.  We didn't take you to go see him because you aren't a fan of the close and personal visits with holiday characters (Easter Bunny included).  We weren't sure if you understood any of it.  Well, I got out the Santa plate & asked you to pick 3 cookies for Santa.  Oh Gracie, you were so cute!  You took your time, carefully picking out two of the cookies I had done then you seemed to think "Wait!  He needs one of mine, too!" and thoughtfully picked out one of yours for him, too.  You picked out a carrot for the reindeer, too & you were excited!  I was excited to show you the empty plate the next day but you were over it by then.  You were like "An empty plate?  Who cares?"

Christmas morning you were thrilled to see a train table and huge train set.  It was an hour before you even looked at the presents.  In fact, it was about 8:00 that night before we were done opening presents.  You'd open one then play with it for a long time.  We all took a 3 hour nap, too.  Other favorite presents this year?  Grandma & I found a talking doll at the thrift store in OH and you think it's amazing.  You loved the wooden pizza set aunt Emily and uncle Brian got you.  Matt & Amber got you a doll that pretends to eat bananas from a bowl and you love that, too.  You were mesmerized by the jewelry box with the dancing ballerina inside for awhile.  Really, you seemed to love all your gifts except for the ones that were clothes.  We got you a bunch of board games to play with you and you got some  Mon Dough and Play Doh sets that you loved, too.

Uncle Wayne, aunt Alicia and Jacob got you a ton of things, including a Tangled doll.  You hadn't seen a princess Disney movie before so we watched that with you while you held the doll & you were mesmerized.  You fell asleep before it was over, still holding your dolly.

You and I are just starting to feel better so hopefully we'll start the new year healthy.  My new year's resolutions with you are that we start exploring the fun stuff in Spokane together.  There's a mom's group we might try and I'm going to check into library story hours.  You're talking so much more we've decided to hold off on speech testing so that goal is on hold.  We're also going to start doing things together that we didn't have room for in the apartment in WI.  One of the first things we're going to do is make our own playdoh.  I can't wait!  I'm hoping to keep up with this blog for you better, too.

I'm off to bed now.  I love you Grace. You're MY baby.  You're the sweetest little girl in the whole world.

Mommy

Never Doubt God is Good

Grace,

     This past two months have been extremely stressful for your parents.  Just three weeks after moving here for your daddy's new job, we found out the company was being bought out.  My daddy (your grandpa) had been through a buy out before & I knew the truth:  no good comes from a buyout if you are the company being bought.

     A few months ago, your daddy did the unthinkable.  He started looking for another job before his job was in trouble.  Your daddy is a very smart man.  He has an intuition when it comes to business & sees signs before others do.  I hope that you consider his opinion on these matters when you're a big girl some day.  I'm telling you, your daddy may not ever wash ALL the dishes or put his laundry in the right hampers for me, but when it comes to business, he's right.

     When your daddy took this job, there was so much promise for it!  Just three weeks in when the buyout was announced, he called me and said "I'm going to throw up."  He felt so bad for moving us here.  We made this move because his job in MI was unstable.  We made this move so we'd have stability for you and for our family.  That secure feeling was taken away 3 weeks after moving here and every month since has been stressful because we haven't known what would happen in the buyout.  Your daddy has grown to absolutely hate his job and I don't blame him.  In the first week of August, he started seriously job hunting.

     I'll be honest with you Grace.  Mommy is very good at SAYING "God will put us where He wants us." "God won't put us in a bad situation that can't be worked out for good later" and "Nothing comes to us except through God."  Trusting God is a whole other battle for me.  I did great the first week of your daddy's interviews.  Since then it has been hard for me. Nothing about this has been making sense.  Why did God move us only to move us again 11 months later?  What is the plan here?  Plus, I felt guilty after seeing you with your grandparents recently.  Boy is there a love connection there!  You love them so much & whenever we'd go anywhere, you'd cling to grandma, lest she possibly run off without you.  They love you so much they can't bear to leave most times!   I sew when stressed Grace & believe me I have been sewing!!!  I cut over 500 doll diapers when your daddy was out interviewing in WA so I guess I'll be adding a doll shop soon to my online stores after I finish them.  Your Halloween costume is half finished already, too, and it's still Sept!

     My prayer for daddy's job interviews was the same:  Let our path be made clear to us.  When your daddy's phone interview with Washington went better than any other phone interview he's ever had, I thought "No way God wants us in Washington!"  Panic set in.  I don't know much about Washington.  Spokane doesn't have a zoo.  What if I'm not happy there?  What if this is the worst decision we ever make?  What if you hate us for taking us away from your grandparents?

     This past week you've actually wanted me to sing you to sleep.  I started with the same song every night, whose words spoke to my heart:
I don't want to leave here.  I don't want to stay.
It feels like pinching to me either way.
They place I was wasn't perfect but I had found a way to live.
It wasn't milk or honey but then neither is this.

There's a section that goes:
If it comes too quick, I may not recognize it.  Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?
If it comes too quick, I may not appreciate it.  Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?

It's about God's people wandering through the desert in search of the promise land.  This is how I've been feeling Grace.  We have loved a lot of things about Milwaukee but your daddy hates his job and I hate this stupid apartment.  Why all this moving?  Why this pit stop here in Milwaukee with this cheap, tiny apartment?  Is it so we can recognize and appreciate our blessings when they come?

I think that is why Grace.  Never mind that we can't always understand God's plans.  When the big picture finally comes into view, it's beautiful the way God works.  I don't see God's plan right now but I'm sure I will later.  I am so thankful that there are friends in my life who helped keep me semi-faithful this past few months.  I hope you have good friends like this someday.  When I didn't know how to trust God one step further, your aunt Emily happened to call and she reminded me that God is always faithful.  God provides for our needs.  It was the encouragement I needed when I needed it & a perfect example of how God works.

The job search has been a mess this time.  We had an offer here & an offer in WA.  The WA offer ended up needing negotiated a couple of times due to problems with the recruiter of all things.  There was a time we were wondering if God really did want us in WA.  One night we both prayed very hard for answers, saying we'd walk away from WA because it didn't look like God's plan and the next morning, WA worked out.  For the sake of honesty, I'll tell you that a company in IN really wants your daddy, too, but the only thing positive about the place is it's only 4 hours from grandma & grandpa.  In comparing the other two offers, WA really beats out the job here. In the words of your grandpa "It's an offer you can't refuse."  That's saying a lot for two grandparents that don't want to see you move across the country!

Your daddy signed the contract with WA last night.  I feel like we were standing on a plank over an ocean of uncertainty and just took a flying leap off it.  I guess in a way that's what we did.  There's so much more uncertainty this time, especially since our last move didn't work out.  I've never been to WA.  We watched a documentary on bear maulings recently and that didn't help!  We both hope this move is good for you and for us as a family.  We've had you living in a super tiny apartment all year but this move means we'll be able to rent a house 2-3 times this size.  You need space.  Any house we'll rent will look like a mini mansion compared to this place!  Our kitchen in the next place will be big enough for us to cook together, something that's been impossible in this tiny place.  Of course I'm worried about making friends, missing family, moving you (not to mention hoping you'll love airplane flights!), and just about everything related to your future.  There's a good chance we'll go overseas for a year with this job & while all the other changes scare me a bit I'm excited about that!  Overall, my biggest worry is taking you from your grandparents.  We're getting a new phone that will let you Skype from anywhere with them but I still worry that I'm ruining your life sometimes.  Of course, I worry about that when I let you eat Fruit Loops (your favorite cereal) instead of something healthier!

When I talked to your Grandpa a little while back, I told him I was worried.  We have one life, with a limited number of days.  If we moved to Washington, how many days do I have left to spend with them?  What is more important than time with family?  He was very reassuring.  My best friend Lisa reminded me that it is quality time, not quantity that matters.  She's also right that no matter what happens, we will all work to keep the bond and relationship strong. 

Your Veggie Tales video you've been making me replay over & over lately has reminded me that we should trust God's path.  Maybe the best way to spend our days on earth is to follow the path God gives us, be a blessing to those we meet, and appreciate the time we do have with our family instead of hoarding time as if it belongs to us and not to God.  Grace, I hope you're smarter than me & won't need to learn lessons from Veggie Tales at 34 years old!  I also hope you know that whatever path we follow, we are trying to follow what God wants for us, you included.  I love you and God is good!  We're off to Washington in six weeks--are you ready to become a mountain woman with me? :)

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Oh Gracie, you are such a busy little girl these days!  Adorable, curious, and lots of trouble.  There are so many things to tell you about!

Potty training has been back on.  You were trained at a year and a half then decided diapers were awesome and quit for awhile.  You're back to being a big girl now.  The difficult thing is that you love to wear dresses & insist on sitting on the regular toilet seat so we've had to teach you quickly to lift your dress.  I also had to teach you not to wipe with your dress.  You looked at me like "But mom, look how convenient this is?"  Oops!

This past week you seemed to realize that the toilet was a source of water. On Friday I caught you filling up your play dishes with water from the toilet.  A few days before that you were making spit balls of sorts by dunking toilet paper into the toilet & then throwing the ball against things because it stuck.  My you are inventive......and messy!

One more toilet training story:  Last week we toured a condo we might rent a few months from now.  You loved it--one of the few any of us have liked.  It was empty as the tenants had moved out awhile back.  We had you in a diaper and when you made yourself at home by yelling in the bathroom that echoed, we had a good laugh & didn't think anything of it.  Then, you shut the door & I stopped laughing.  I knew you wanted privacy.  Unfortunately, the place was so empty there was no toilet paper for what you were going to do.  We stood there & died of embarrassment as you grunted in the echoing bathroom, leaving little to the imagination of the woman showing us the condo!  We apologized profusely but she has a 3 year old potty training now so she understood.  When you gotta go, you gotta go.  Thank goodness we still had wipes in the car!

Eggs are so tempting for you.  Last week I found you cracking them on the floor.  Last night I caught you getting the carton out of the fridge & told you no no.  You went to shove the carton back in the fridge but it tipped over and open & nearly a dozen eggs fell on the floor and broke.  Oops again!  Your cooking skills really are coming along though.  You can make your own peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Angelina Ballerina is your favorite show.  How much do you love it?  The other night you leaned up and kissed her on the TV, then said "I love you!" to her.  You practice dancing through the whole show.  You spin with your arms above your head and it's the cutest thing ever.  Don't worry, we will put you in ballet once you are three.  Of course, every time I grab the camera you stop dancing!  I'll catch you on film yet little girl!

Helping mommy glue nuts on a caramel apple!

I've been keeping busy making felt food toys and banners.  I'm on a bit of a deadline, trying to get as much to photographers now so I can have pictures back in time for the holiday rush.  You've been so sweet about helping me, from hoarding the pieces I need to make an item to helping place letters on banner & saying "There you go!" or "I did it!" in your sweet little voice each time.  Sales are picking up so we're back to going to the post office several times a week.  One day, grandma & grandpa had just left & you were so sad.  You have a 4 foot tall elephant appropriately named "Big Elephant" that you insisted on carrying everywhere even though he is HUGE.  I really needed to get some orders out so I ended up carrying you and Big Elephant out to the car, then into the post office and back out again.  You just laid on Big Elephant like you didn't care where I took you as long as you had him.  We cheered you up by letting you Skype with grandma & grandpa that night and all was better.

Hoarding the tops of my snow cones

Girl, you are a total Fashionista!  You love dresses, hats, and shoes.  LOVE them.  You love dresses so much you started insisting on wearing them to bed.  On the third night, I realized you would love nightgowns since they are dresses for bedtime and we whipped one up together the very next morning.  You helped a lot, handing me pins and saying "There you go!" each time with pride.  You loved the finished product & I gave a huge sigh of relief!  It's bigger than I planned but I guess that means you might be able to wear it for a full year.  That's rare with any outfit with as fast as you grow!

Going to have lunch with daddy

When it comes to fashion, you know what you like.  This picture shows 3 of the 5 pairs of shoes you had me buy this past month.  Yes, five pairs in a month.  We will be avoiding the shoe aisle for awhile so we can afford your education when the time comes.  The Hello Kitty galoshes really are cute and when you wear them with dresses like this you always get a smile from the strangers we pass.  The sparkling Disney shoe in your hand is like a ruby red slipped but in pink--can it get any better than that?  I don't think so!

The pink croc on the stairwell was an interesting purchase for us as parents.  Before we had you, we said they were ugly shoes and our daughter wouldn't be wearing them.  Then, I realized everybody else was wearing them and didn't want you to be left out so we bought them.  We love them.  They wash up easily, you can put them on yourself, and you love them enough to wear them to bed.  By the way, yes you wear shoes to bed often.  Right now you are still sleeping--a grey dress shoe on one foot and a black dress shoe (that is 2 sizes too small!!) on the other.  By the way, that black shoe is being passed on to a friend so don't get too attached.  You are too young to wear shoes too small just because they are cute!

While we're on the subject of shoes, little girl, where did you put our shoes?  I just helped your daddy search this place top to bottom to look for his black dress shoes.  This is obviously your doing because all the shoes in the shoe section of our closet are missing.  Your poor daddy had to change his pants & wear brown shoes instead because that was all he had left!

You haven't met a hat you haven't liked, which brings me to your bike helmet.  Yes, we got you your first bike!  It's a European style balance bike (no pedals), pink and you love it.  How cute are you?

Of course now that we got the bike, it's too hot to be out trying to ride it (101 yesterday with heat index of 115).  That hasn't stopped you.  You'll bring the bike in the house and try to ride it.  Very cute.

The helmet is the best hat you've ever seen in your opinion.  You wear it in the car a lot.  Each time, I pray we don't get in an accident where someone will think I'm such a bad driver that you have to wear a helmet!

Well, little girl, I'd better go.  You'll be waking up soon and there are still a few more things I want to get done before that happens.  Love you!

No Soda for You!

Grace,

We were watching TV when we heard it.  It was the unmistakable sound of some liquid falling onto the floor.  Your dad's words?  "That's not good."  He went running into the kitchen where I heard him exclaim "OH MY!" then burst out laughing.

What mess?

You opened the 2 liter bottle of soda & poured yourself a sippy full of cola.  You did a pretty good job--that was a full bottle you poured from!  Some of this mess is from you trying to get down those steps with your full glass & some spilled.

You're very creative with the trouble you get in little girl!  Thankfully, you were fine with us switching your soda for grape juice & tantrums were averted.

Love you!

Fun Every Day

Oh Gracie.  You are reaching the point where you do so many new and fun things each day that I'm afraid I'll forget them forever if I don't tell you about them now.

You are napping right now, thanks to your new habit of getting up at 5:45 am, then napping from 9-11:30.  I'm not blaming you.  It's the party girls who moved in next door and kept you up this weekend that I blame!  Regardless, it's the perfect opportunity to tell you about yourself.

      This hat is new & I have been wanting to get you one since you were born!  You LOVE hats and sure look cute in them.  I love that a hat can make your wild curls look tame when we go out.  You're such a cutie!  We always have hats on our heads thanks to you acting as our stylist each day.  The other day, I almost left the house wearing one of your toddler hats because I'd forgotten about it.

     Yes, this is you eating corn on the cob in the car.  Why?  Because we were late to meet your daddy for lunch but you insisted that corn on the cob would be your in car snack.  We needed to get going so I didn't argue with you--boy was your daddy surprised when we picked him up for lunch and saw you eating this!

      Your favorite food is corn on the cob so I shouldn't have been surprised, right?  If you see we've bought it, you start husking it immediately & will take big bites of it raw.  Popcorn is also a big hit.  You brought your daddy the children's book Popcorn by Frank Ash several times on Saturday.  He kept trying to read it to you & you'd shut the cover, mad at him.  Then, you brought it to mommy who figured it out--oh!  you want popcorn!  Of course, you know the word for popcorn, but I guess you were just testing our riddle-solving skills.

Every night you want us to take you on stroller walks.  This is the same girl who HATED her stroller for the first two years of her life, right?

     On Saturday night,  you were helping daddy cook when you decided to get out the base for my mini food processor.  You carried it to the living room, set it down and proceeded to drag it across the floor by the cord.  I watched you, confused at first.  Then, you started panting, stopped & told it to sit.  OH!  You were pretending it was a dog!  It was hard to figure out what to do next.  Let you continue & risk taking the cord off the machine (let's face it, you're very strong & rough on things) or break your heart?  A call to grandpa (the man who would've had to replace the cord) fixed it all.  He had the idea of tying yarn around your stuffed animal dogs for an instant leash & you were thrilled.  Of course, your daddy thought we should get you a real dog.  I agree but you need to wait a bit, monkey.  We aren't ready to enter the world of dog ownership again just yet.  You favorite animal by far is dogs, and I am relieved that our former dog's attack on you at 6 months has obviously left no emotional scarring behind!

     Daddy has been teaching you about trees.  You love to feel their branches & leaves.  This one is a pine tree & you were laughing at the needles & how they felt on your hand.

     Your smile wins us over all the time, monkey.  You really know how to get your way, especially with your daddy.  You know I melt if you use your words so you're really working on talking to me.  The other day you got a container of frozen custard out & brought it to me.  "Help!" you said, a new word I've been trying to get you to say for about a year now.  When I started to laugh you added "PLEEEEAAASSSEE!" so of course you got ice cream right away!  If I ignore your requests, you often go to your daddy where a simple smile usually gets you exactly what you want.
     We have been telling you no more though and people all over town have seen the tantrums to prove it.  You have your mother's German temper little girl!

     Why was I ever worried about your language skills?  You have been coming along well in the past few months.  You counted five objects last night and we haven't even worked on that!  We don't really work with you on academic stuff because we think you are too young but we've been trying some Montessori activities and you love them.  You know almost all your colors & say their names thanks to your love of painting.  You got me up at 4:45 the other day to have me refill your paint cups!  You know a lot of letter names A, B, C, D, E, G, I, J, K, M, O, P, R, T, U, V, Y and Z!  You try to write them a lot but e has been the only recognizable one.  P is your FAVORITE letter.  You always say "P--puh, puh."  It's very cute.  You count your things and tell us how many you have, lifting up two of something and saying "Two!"  Grandma tried to get you to count on the phone last night & when she said "1, 2, 3, 4" you said "Wow!" like "Wow Grandma, you can do it, too!"  "Wow, cool" is one of your favorite expressions, right up there with saying "Aw, man!" and slapping your leg when you spill something.  I guess you're getting these things from us because you're around us the most!

     We love the time we spend with you Grace.  Daddy's favorite part of the work week is when we meet him for lunch.  You watch for him & when you see him, your smile is priceless.  Thanks for making all our days just a bit brighter with your smile Gracie!

You LOVE Chocolate & Frozen Custard

Gracie,

     The move to WI has been a good one for you.  You LOVE frozen custard, a treat very common here in Milwaukee.  We asked you tonight if you wanted to go for ice cream & you came running & yelling "Ice Cream!"  When asked if you wanted your ice cream to be chocolate ice cream, you immediately said "Choc" with conviction.  You couldn't wait for us to get going, hugging each of us as if to hurry us along.

     I should preface these photos by telling you that you have been tired all day but refused your nap.  When you are tired, you are generally very naughty.  It's like your body seeks out trouble nonstop!  The ice cream diversion was partly to keep you busy for a few minutes & out of trouble.

     We decided to head to Leon's (we call it Neon Leon's due to his apparent love of neon signs) & daddy went to get the custard while we waited in the car.  You were so excited!  I turned on music to keep you occupied & we rocked out to that "I hate myself for loving you" song.  I have to admit that while I'm thrilled you're trying to talk & to sing, I was a little nervous about you learning this song.  Maybe we should start with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?  You started to cry when daddy took too long, as if maybe he was secretly standing in the parking lot, eating all our ice creams.

     You wasted no time when he handed you your cone & began to eat.  Poor thing--you were so tired!  We laughed as we watched you falling asleep while trying to still eat your cone.  You'd nod off between licks.  Then, you were out.  Daddy calls this the Ice Cream Hobo look.

Your cone is in your lap!

Messy, tired girl!

Still so cute!

     After we snapped these pics, your daddy carried you up to bed.  As he laid you down, you drew up your arm & licked an imaginary cone.  I agree, baby girl.  The chocolate custard here is the stuff dreams are made of!

Sweet dreams Gracie Goo!

You Love the Outdoors

Grace,

You get your love of the outdoors from your father--this is sooooo not your mother's quality!

What's better than mud?

What mom?  This is good for my nails!

Not sure what you were digging for!

You LOVE this rock at the edge of our yard.

It's so good for jumping!

   
     I asked your daddy tonight if he thought we could ever take you camping.  He said,  "Grace?  Yes.  You? No."  He knows me so well!  We had dinner at Olive Garden tonight.  You had bread sticks galore, pasta, went potty not once, not twice, but three times & then finished the meal with one of their mint chocolates that come with bill.  Best night ever you thought.  You blew a kiss to the restaurant as we left & yelled, "Bye!  Bye!!" as you waved while we walked out.  Too cute.  The way to your heart is carbs, chocolate and frequent bathroom visits.

Love you!

You Are an Artist

Baby Girl,

You love art.  Drawing, coloring, painting--they are all passions for you.  Is it any wonder that the words "draw," "color," and "paint" were among your first 50?  You don't have a favorite color but already name the colors yellow, blue, red and green.

We knew you needed a new easel--a taller one with the chalkboard you'd been craving.  How do I know?  You kept writing on EVERYTHING with chalk.  Grandma & Grandpa found this goodie in their shed & when they brought it up, you were in love.  When we got out the paints, you fell in love even more!

The plastic tablecloth on the floor is essential!

So is using Crayola WASHABLE paints!

You have such a vision! :)  Not sure what it is but you're busy!

You're always soooo focused when you paint!

Moved you by the window so you could have plenty of
natural light. 

     Your favorite thing to draw is circles but painting seems to be where it's at for you.  We've stopped putting the paints & brushes away since you paint about eight times a day.  The other morning, I woke up at 4:45 to find you cheerfully painting!!  You smiled and kept on with your work as if to say "I was inspired by a dream & just had to paint this!"

     I love you little Monet!

Grace: Style Icon

Yes little girl, you insisted on wearing one glove to and from the park.  It was 60 degrees out & you didn't want a coat, just one glove.  Fashion over function I'm guessing. :)

Every Day is April Fool's Day with a 2 Year Old

Hey there bunny!

Your dad & I talked about it this morning and we're changing your nickname.  We always call you monkey because you climb over everything.  You were climbing out of your crib by 11 months!  Well you jump a lot these days.  A LOT.  This morning I made the bed, turned around & it was disheveled.  Gracie!  I said, rolling my eyes.  When you jump, you either say "jump jump jump" with every bounce or my favorite "up down" "up down" "up down" every time.  We've decided maybe you're more of a bunny than a monkey.

You're a snuggle bunny, making daddy hold you while you insist on holding
cookie monster, baby, big bird and pinky bear!

We've also been talking about your language skills lately.  Your speech therapist agreed this week that you're better at language than you test at initially.  Specifically, you understand more than it seems.  You're a tricky girl!  We first noticed it when I said some not nice things to you in a plain tone.  I was frustrated & let myself vent for a minute because you'd never understand what I was saying anyway.  I was wrong!  Wrong to say mean things but also wrong because you understood me.  My tone was pleasant but my words gave away my frustration.  You started sobbing immediately.  Your dad & I were both in shock.  I hugged you and told you I was very sorry & that you were a very good girl & thank goodness you forgave me.

Maybe you started saying momma
because I always wear all the
hats you give me?

You do have trouble understanding things at times but it's not nearly as bad as they made it out to be.  Thank God for that!!  Your language is coming along slow & steady.  The other day you were on the phone with grandma and grandpa.  By the way, they are the most patient phone buddies on earth.  They talk to you for 10-15 minutes while you say nothing.  That is love, Grace and boy do they love you.  This week Grandpa said "Grace, are you not gonna talk to me?" and you shook your head no with a big smile.  Yeah, you understood what he asked.

YOU SAID MOMMA!!!!!!!  You now say momma regularly.  You say it with a French accent, much like you say the word jump (shump!) and it's the cutest thing ever to hear "mum-MA."  You already use it mostly to manipulate me, like saying mum-MA when you want me to get you another cookie (it's a good strategy that works 90% of the time).

You say words like car, dog, up, etc. to name things more and more.  No new words in the last week but that's okay because you've been working on consistently saying the words you know.  You're also trying to communicate a lot more.  You climb up on my lap & here's how the conversation goes:
You:  Mumma!

You're also trying out new faces all the time!

Me:  Good!  Yes, Gracie?
You:  Uh Oh
Me:  Uh oh
You:  Dada
Me:  Dada!  Good!
You:  Wow!
Me:  Wow!
You:  No no!
Me:  No No--what no no?
Yep, that's how the conversation goes.  You sit on my lap thinking of any words you can.  I generally repeat them.  Eventually you run out of words & then get a disappointed look on your face.  I try to encourage you but you tend to slide out of my lap and walk away, getting interested in something else pretty quickly.

You're getting a little bossy but we roll with it.  After all, you're an only child and we live to cater to you.  :)  Ok, that's just what you think but we let you boss us on the little things.

Daddy lets you be his stylist.
You tell him "hat!" and he puts in on
diligently, even lining the bow on the front up.

You bossed me at the children's museum.  I asked if I could draw too, and you promptly said "No!"
When I tried to draw on my own paper, you took my crayon away and said "No No!"

We're loving all your talking Grace!  It's letting you show your personality even more, as if faces like this one didn't tell us you were a bit of a character!

In addition to peeing on the carpet a few times this week, breaking a water & glitter filled baton open and getting glitter all over, and drinking from a bottle of pancake syrup while wearing a lot of it too, you also played a little prank on your daddy while he was cooking this week.  That's dry oatmeal.  I came in the kitchen to find you throwing it in the air like you were making it rain.  "Where is your daddy?" I asked, looking at your daddy standing not 2 feet from you & oblivious to your mess.  "He's cookin!" he said with a smile.  Ah, two year olds.  You're lucky you're cute!  Your daddy is lucky he's cute, too!

Brazilian Feijoada

Grace,

You're always helping me in the kitchen.  Always.  We attempted this Brazilian Feijoada (pronounced fay-ZWAH-da) last week.  I love your style.  When we were browning the first of the meats, the fat was jumping in the pan.  Not one to like grease splatters, you came up with a fashionable solution:  your winter coat!

Stirring the pork shoulder from a distance where it's "safe."

Getting right in there and working hard!

Working on your spoon skills with the pork shoulder.

Cutting an onion with a butter knife on your cutting board while I work on my own.

The focus and concentration!

Still working hard on your onion while the beef short ribs sear.

You insisted on trying the sharp knife!

Back to work on your own onion & butter knife but you insisted on using my cutting board.

Washing dishes while I keep cooking.

There are two ingredients mommy won't touch with her bare hands:  turkey necks & smoked pigs feet!

See how nice I plated your meal?

All that work and you only ate your rice!  Never touched the rest.

     You thought the rice was delicious.  We loved the whole meal but I should have known your love of rice would keep you from even attempting to eat anything else on your plate.  That's okay.  We'll make it again & you can try it then.  Thanks for all the help!

Fast Trip to Ohio

Grace,

This past weekend we did our first fast trip to Ohio meaning we left Friday night after your daddy got off of work & came back right after lunch on Sunday.  You did better on the drive to Ohio than your dad did (when we got stuck in downtown Chicago he wasn't happy) and you were great on the way back, too.  Thank you for that from the bottom of our hearts!

We were in town for a baby shower.  As always, we try to dress you cute for these things so that if your behavior leaves anything to be desired, people can at least focus on how cute you were!  It was fun because your Aunt Emily, Aunt Amber & Grandma came with us and any time all of us ladies can get together it's a great day.

You behaved well overall, starting out shy.  Then the momma to be started opening presents & you know what? There were TOYS in those presents.  Language disorder or no language disorder, you knew you shouldn't go up and take them.  So instead you tried to sneak closer.

And closer.

Yeah, we were on to you!

You had two favorite moments at that shower.  The cake and the other kids.  Toward the end of the shower, you'd warmed up to them & ran in circles around a table.  It appeared you thought someone was chasing you & you laughed and laughed as you ran around the table.  It wore you out!

The rest of your weekend was pretty low key.  Mommy had a lot of running around to you but you took time to lay on your "daddy chair."  At least that's what he calls it when you lounge around on him.

You loved grandpa's slate chalkboard, too.

You had fun with grandma.  By the way, your grandma has a lot of sass in her (as you've probably noticed).  Your daddy smiled after we left and said he was so glad your grandma has her attitude and is such a close part of your life.  He said your grandma Lee was a lot like your grandma.  We both wish you could have known her too, baby girl.  Your daddy finds comfort knowing you get to know this grandma.  She's full of personality, so was your grandma Lee, so is your momma and so are you!  It's a long line of strong women with a quick wit and fun sense of humor.

There's another woman in this line of strong women from whom you should admire Grace:  your great great aunt Sue.  We are so grateful that she's in our lives and that you're getting to know her, too, Grace.  She always makes your daddy laugh and this time when she saw you, she said you look more like your daddy every day.  He always hears how much you look like me and I saw him smile just a little brighter at the comparison to him!

You're one of us Grace & we'll always be a part of you.

We ate lunch on Sunday at the Chinese restaurant your daddy loves there in Bryan.  You attacked your rice with such gusto that one of the cooks came out from the back & laughed when he saw how much you loved it.

After lunch, it was time to go & you gave each of your grandparents a kiss.  Oh, you are such a sweet, sweet girl.  

We asked you if you were ready to go bye bye & you yelled out NO!  You cried when we left but don't worry.  We're seeing them again in just two weeks.