I confess that in the past I was not a big fan of the 2 and 3 year old stages. I've been known to say that I'll take them from birth to 2 years old, and then I'd like to give them away for awhile. Well, I've changed my mind with Rachel. I would like to FREEZE her right now just the way she is. She is such a sweet, happy kid (at least when she hangs out with me - she can occasionally get moody and grumpy when the big kids bug her too much or she's too tired). Her speech seemed a little delayed, but then in November/December, it EXPLODED!!! She's got the cutest little voice, and she says the cutest, cutest things!! Here are some examples: (sorry this is so long, but I just have to write them down for posterity!!)
She discovered echoes ... and for several weeks went around shouting "ECHO!" and then immediately answering herself sadly, "No echo!" (in the car, kitchen, etc.) But she was thrilled if she discovered an echo in Mommy's shower, the garage, etc.
She has come up with the cutest nick-names for the kids. She calls Kierstyn "KiKi" or "KiKi-Becca" (for Kierstyn Rebecca) ... and she's got the rest of us saying it too! Caleb is "Dub", Chandler is "Der", and Carlie is "Cah-ee" or even more silly is "Cah-ee Wah-ree" (say it together quickly). The big kids are very thrilled she finally has names for them!
She ALWAYS tells me "thank you, Mama" for EVERYTHING!!! She often remembers "peese" and even "you're welcome". One favorite example: I was getting her dressed one morning, and as I put on her favorite sweater she smelled it and asked, "It keen?" I said, "Yes, mommy washed your sweater and it's all clean now." She said very enthusiastically, "Oh, THANK you Mama!"
With all the birthdays in December, she discovered the joy of birthdays, presents, and cake. She calls a birthday a "Happy Day" ... and the cake is a "Happy Cake"! I totally agree! What great names for those! And since Carlie's birthday in January, she has started to ask me, "MY happy day, mama?? My happy day??" Poor thing has to wait until August!
I overheard her in the high chair one day while eating her lunch trying to say/sing the "5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" rhyme. She couldn't say monkey - she calls them "ooh-ooh-ahh-ahh's" ... so I heard her say with rhythm, "Ooh-Ooh-Ahh-Ahh Jump on Bed!" while making her fingers do the jumping.
She LOVES books!!! I don't think any of my older kids ever loved books so much at this age. She has a stack of 12 Dora the Explorer books (they're actually phonics books I bought Carlie when she was just barely learning to read, but she didn't use them very much) that she takes with her all around the house ... and she's got an inner-drive for neatness - she makes sure they are perfectly stacked and facing the same direction most of the time! She spends tons of time looking through her books and cherishing them.
One day she made a big mess on her side of the bedroom - she had scattered lots of books and a few toys. I walked in and said, "Oh, you made a mess! Carlie will be sad!" Rachel quickly jumped up and started gathering her books and told me, "I keen up! Cah-ee HAPPY!!!"
One evening she had gotten into a board-game and scattered all the cards (about 100 of them) around the living room. I got stern with her and told her to clean them up. She pouted a bit in the corner, then kept asking me "Why?" constantly. I kept telling her sternly to help us clean up. Finally she said matter-of-factly, "Be happy, Mama."
I was cooking a roast for dinner one day, and Chandler commented to Rachel that we're having meat for dinner. Rachel says, "Baby jaguar eat meat! I like meat too!" (She loves Go Diego Go on TV, and Baby Jaguar is Diego's sidekick.)
She comments frequently about liking things ... "I like babies! I like juice! I like my backpack!" etc. And when you agree with her, she finishes by saying, "Me too!!" One night we finished reading scriptures and then the kids began to scatter a bit. I said to all of them in general (but mainly the older kids), "Come kneel down for family prayers or you won't get a cookie." Rachel scampers quickly to the little table and kneels down and folds her arms ... then looks up and exclaims, "I LIKE cookies!!"
I happened to tell her one day that Daddy was strong - she wanted me to do something that I wasn't able to do - and that we'd have Daddy do it later. She latched onto that concept and tells me constantly that "Daddy hong!" about everything! Recently she wanted some Fruit Snacks up high in the pantry. She said, "Can't reach it!! Daddy hong! Daddy reach it!"
She recently had a 12-hour bout of the stomach flu. She threw up six times, and with each one she never cried or complained. Each time she stopped heaving, she would simply say, "I all done, mama."
She adores her baby sister and gets so excited when she hears her wake up from her naps. Today she called out in a very loud voice from downstairs up to baby's room, "Kiki Becca! I come git you!"
These pictures were taken in December at the home of Chandler's piano teacher:
Having quiet time in the kitchen with one of her favorite books (and wearing her favorite sweater!):
2 comments:
That is so cute! I am feeling the same way about Josh (most of the time). He always says please & thank you, too. It must have been all the exercising we did when they were in the womb. :)
How cute! We miss your family so much. Really enjoy getting to keep up with all your doings through the blog.
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