The Monogrammed Munchkin: Last Month as a Two-Year-Old!!

Dearest Caroline,

I had a panic moment the other day when I realized that this time next year, I will have a four-year-old. I don't know where the time has gone. You have gotten so big!! At the end of your two-year-old year, you:

consistently respond with beautiful manners -- Ma'am, Sir, please, thank you, excuse me, you're welcome
dress yourself -- panties, shirts, dresses, pants, sweaters, coats, socks, and velcro shoes

You are still working on buttoning and zipping, though you can unbutton and unzip.

lay out breakfast, snack, and lunch, and set the dinner table
fold towels, shirts, and shorts (with reasonable neatness)
assist in cooking
assist in daily housekeeping
unpack the groceries
put away dishes within reach
give driving directions

You tell us how to get to the park, school, church, etc. and can tell where we are going miles before we get there. You also let us know that "We drove this way when we went to -- (i.e. Lucy's birthday party)."

recall events and activities that occurred nearly a year ago

However, until this past week or so, everything in the past happened "last night".

dance
move about in the pool with arm bands
bathe yourself -- put soap on a washcloth, wash all necessary parts, rinse off, wring out the washcloth, hang it up, unplug the drain, retrieve a towel, and wrap yourself up

You still need help washing your hair.

consistently count to 15 accurately and to 100 with assistance
match quantities 1-10 to the correct numeral with little help
recognize and name numbers 1-10
recognize and name all letter sounds and read short-vowel words independently

You are reading Jim Wins but would be much further along if you weren't so stubborn. (You prefer to read cards to books, though you do an amazing job recognizing words you have sounded out earlier in the book and hardly have to sound out any words by the last few pages. I have been rather lax on making you practice your books and plan on stepping things up once you turn three.)

recognize and quickly recall 20 easy sight words (for, a, I, do, go, see, the, be, her, etc.)
name colors
write your name with little help
write numbers 0-9 with little help
write on lined paper with little help
complete 16 piece jigsaw puzzles independently
complete 48 piece jigsaw puzzles with little help
complete 50 piece US puzzle (lined) independently
recite (sing) days of the week, months of the year, continents, and ABCs
sing dozens of songs
compose your own songs

You sing a capella and occasionally while playing the violin, the piano, and the Montessori bells. You also love the recorder, though you have a hard time singing while playing. :)

You LOVE:

everything ballet

We have taken you to The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, and you dance all the time.

sports

We went to the park today, and after playing on the playground and tossing a baseball back and forth with Daddy, you made us sit on the bleachers and watch the little-leagers practice.
Outdoor playtime at home often involves golf and basketball.

practicing the violin

Our practice sessions are 15 minutes and include holding the violin up with no hands, bow grip and bow movement activities, playing open strings (with left hand on the body of the violin), practicing straight bows, and clapping to the different Twinkle variation rhythms.
Music lessons can last over 30 minutes on days that Mommy plays. (You pick the book and song, and I play while you dance.)

music

You sing ALL THE TIME and ask the names of all the songs you hear (including classical pieces with no lyrics).

helping (Mommy, Daddy, classmates, everyone)
Star Trek and Political Newscasts (specifically Georgia Gang and any show with Donald Trump)

Might I add that we have attempted to be completely unbiased and have exposed you to both Republican and Democratic debates.

Georgia Tech

You especially love the "bumble bee yellow jacket whose shirt is too short and falls down all the time".

the Atlanta Braves
FROZEN

You want everything to be "Anna/Elsa" (i.e. Anna/Elsa gloves, Anna/Elsa car, Anna/Elsa cake, Anna/Elsa iPad, Anna/Elsa towel)
I have not played any of the songs for you in months, but you still sing "Let it Go," "Do You Want To Build a Snowman" and "For the Fist Time In Forever" ALL the time (though you invent rather interesting alternate lyrics).

books and "reading" to Mommy
driving cars

You LOVE sitting in the driver's seat and pushing all the buttons. You also love your Cozy Coupe.

Cookie Joes and the Sparkle Cookie Store

What's not to love about Trader Joes and Publix?

Henri's, Cafe Jonah, and Whole Foods

Sadly, Cafe Jonah closed down earlier this month, but you had been a regular since you were three days old (sometimes visiting several times a day) and were well loved by all the staff. You also loved getting their ice water.
You retrieve my assistant's wallets for them and escort them to Henri's several times a week. You can usually convince the bakery employees to part with a small pastry, though one time you got a HUGE icing-covered whale-shaped rice crispy treat. (They feel sorry for you that your Mommy has only bought you one cookie in two years.)
You can find your way to Whole Food's coffee bar and pizza station with your eyes closed.

Food

Cooking it, eating it, shopping for it, you just love food. You especially like other people's food (specifically Ms. Roopal's and Mommy's).

This month, I haven't taken too many pictures. However, you have been incredibly busy. One weekend, you went to a Daddy-Daughter dance, had a playdate, and saw Sleeping Beauty (Atlanta Ballet) all within 24 hours.

You recently found my computer from high school on a low shelf in Daddy's workshop. While I wasn't paying attention, you set it up on Daddy's desk in his office. It is now set up on a small table in the basement rec room. It is one of your favorite toys, though it sometimes bothers you that "it doesn't work well". (It is only a monitor and keyboard and has long lost its tower and power cord.)

I had you sign 41 Valentine cards, and you were a pretty good sport about it. (You also got to glue on a box of stickers and attach some stickers to the card, which you found fabulously fun.)

You went to your first political rally and got to ride the "train" several times.

You celebrated your birthday early since Baby Sister is almost here, and Mommy didn't want to risk skipping your party. There were 24 guests (ages 2-6), so I didn't get a chance to take as many pictures as I would have liked, but you had the apple juice and princess and Hello Kitty cupcakes you requested (with blue, white, and pink icing), a dress-up center, wand and crown crafts, princess puzzles, a child-sized cardboard castle, and beauty salon (complete with glitter nail polish and glitter hair spray).

You went to Fuse and Big Girl Sunday School for the first time today!! (Technically a week early.) You walked right into Sunday School without any problems and sat beautifully in church during the Children's sermon. You LOVED it.

Daddy will be in San Francisco this week, but when he comes back, we will be celebrating your REAL birthday with a genuine Anna/Elsa cake.

We love you tons Big Girl!!!

xxoo,

Mommy