Magnolia at 1.75 years!

Otis and Maggie are Buddies

Looking in the mirror, holding Magnolia, I marvel, "We have a huge kid." (Aren't 2T clothes supposed to fit at least until their 2nd birthday?) She's no longer a baby. She's a big girl who goes poop on the potty (she has very few poopy diapers these days, but has also started using potty as a nap stall tactic) and loves to be a helper. She squeals and quivers with excitement when laundry is brought up to be folded. Anytime the dishwasher opens she runs in to unload it. I modified the swiffer to her height so she can sweep to her heart's content. She loves to bring burp rags and soothers for her baby sister and lets us know when baby is "tying." Her favorite daily activity is helping Mama cook.

Cooking Monster Cookies

After mastering her colors (Grandpapa was impressed that she knows what grey is) we moved on to counting, making her yellow jammies with numbers a must-wear. If I ask her if she wants one or two "tails" in her hair she adds "three, four, five!" Now we've moved on and its all about the ABCs. She is noticing letters everywhere. While driving by McDonalds recently, she shouted "Yeh-yo M, you!" ("you" because M's are her letter). Singing the ABCs--or the AIJs--has become part of the bedtime routine.

Our first experience with a Sharpie Marker.

Mr. Potato-head inspired Pumpkin/Squash "carving"

Teeth brushing is a regular feature too. She now has a full set, so no more teething--next stop losing teeth, but hopefully that will wait awhile. As with many activities, she insists on brushing herself, but luckily "Mama's turn first, then Maggie's turn" is still working. On her turn she copies my naming of each part "Front, Top,..."

Enjoying the Family Interactive Gallery at the Whatcom Museum

Magnolia has also become very focused in her play, often sitting sorting and resorting shapes, calling them by name and shape (Do all toddlers know what a pentagon is?). She now "reads" her much requested books on her own. Shyness or at least needing a little time to warm up has set in. But so has performing once she's warm -- jumping, twirling, and singing. One of her recent songs was "Haha you seenen. Mama, Papa you seenen." (Translation: Hockey you singing. Mama Papa you singing. Further translation: There is hockey on the radio but I'm singing. Mama and Papa are in the car and I'm singing) She also is aware of getting her picture taken. Much to Papa's chagrin, who prefers candid images over canned images, sometimes she'll crawl up on the couch and say "mile" (smile) indicating that she would like to have her picture taken.

I wish I could videotape every moment of this stage. There are so many little things I know I'll forget that warm my heart, like her little voice wishing Kaleia a "good morning." This stage is going to be gone before I know it. So for now, I will enjoy that Mama's kisses still have the power to cure "pain."