Man oh man are you delicious these days! You are so verbal, we have complete conversations all the time now. Very occasionally Daddy and I don't understand what you're saying and your sister will translate, but most of the time you're fully able to communicate.
You count to 14 and know that numbers correspond to quantities of things. You will get two pieces of paper and say "Two papers, one for you and one for me" which I guess means you know math, too! You like to count and will sometimes do it when you're measuring something like colors on the paper or steps you're taking. And sometimes you just count for fun.
You have some books memorized and will sometimes just start saying them when we're out and about. Mostly this is with the Knuffle Bunny books: you will look at me and say "One day, not so long ago..." and I'll pick up, "before she could even speak words, Trixie went on an errand with her Daddy." And then we go back and forth, reciting the story. You do it with Moo Baa La La La, too, which ends with "It's quiet now. What do YOU say?" and you always say "Again!" and so we read the book again.
We had a wonderful time visiting our family in Seattle and you LOVED all your time with your family.
First time eating jam. You're a fan!
Dress up in my old flower girl dress
At Pike Place, watching the flying fish
Holding hands with "uncle Kathy"
Hiking with Daddy. You did GREAT!
Considering sharing your veggie straws with Silly Uncle Davic
Hoodie Buddies!
Cousins! We love our Family By Choice
Uncle Rossy read a LOT of stories to you both
On a boat with Auntie Ellen!
Suburban Backyard Sprinkler Dance Party
Riding in style
You have pretended to call "Linea" and her friend (and Kaden and Aunt Xan) many days since we've been back. You had a BLAST with them
Kirshenbaum boys are so much fun!
This round of dress up was started by you. As soon as we got to Uncle Mike and Aunt Xan's, you asked for dress up clothes.
Seattle was wonderful and you loved everyone we spent time with, but it was a long trip and you were ready to go home by the end. The last few nights we were there, when you were overtired and needing to sleep, you would just cry "GO HOME!" And when we finally got home, you were so happy to see your toys and books. You instantly plopped down in front of your Legos and Magna Tiles and just built happily for hours.
You also LOVE coloring and making art. You have been making some fascinating collages with stickers, coloring and using scissors to make different types of fringe. You love to make art for specific people, mostly your sister and Maddie, but also me, Daddy and your dance teacher.
You also are very into natural treasures. Sometimes when you're walking, you become fixated on "treasures" and need to collect them. "Ticks" (sticks), rocks and leaves are "beautiful!" and you try to fit as many as possible into my pockets. Before handing the treasures to me, you tell me "I love it!" and marvel at the beauty you see.
We had to bring all of this home. Plus about 6 acorns
AND....You started school!!! Well, preschool alternative Brooklyn Nature Days. You go one day a week from 9-12 and this week was the first time I dropped you off. You totally rocked it, telling me when you were ready for me to leave. When I came to pick you up, you looked close to tears when you saw me, but didn't cry and said you had so much fun. And since then, you've been playing "coco time" (circle time) and cleaning up the floor to make room for us to sit in a circle (well, a two person circle) and have tea. You already sing songs from school and talk about your teachers and how you like to hold their hands. I think it's still going to be an adjustment, but you're so proud to have your own thing to do and be a big kid.
And almost 2 and a half, you have no interest in potty training or weaning. We sleep in the same bed and you sleep well (most of the time) until early monring when you want to nurse and then you nurse/sleep for the rest of the night. On good days, you ask to nurse starting at 5:30ish and on bad nights it can be 4 or even 3:30. I try to keep dozing, with varying degrees of success, but you definitely fall asleep here and there. You walk for longer distances, often walking the whole way to the subway or bus stop. You love to climb and climb up whatever you can at the playground.
You love to dance, and will often request ballet music and then dance around the house. You love to dress up and are often in some stage of costume whenever we are home. You sing all the time, often songs from Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (on your first day of school, while we were walking from the train to class, you started signing "Grown Ups Come Back") but also the Annie soundtrack and Fight Song and Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds ("my song!"). You adore your sister, missing her while she's at school, asking to play with her and hug her when you see her and counting the days until the weekend. You love hot dogs and request them for dinner at least 3 times a week. You also ask for lollipops, which I give you most of the time you ask since you hardly ever finish them and mostly just take a few licks. You know you are "'lergic" to eggs and won't try to eat food that we tell you has eggs in it. You like to help cook and are big on doing things "gether" which means you put your hands on whatever I'm doing.
You love to explore your surroundings and are overall just such a happy person. I feel like no matter how much time we have together it's never enough. I try to see the world through your eyes and be impressed by how beautiful everything is. I try to capture your wonder and enjoyment. I love you so so so so much
