Grace is 2 1/2 years old

Grace turned 2 1/2 years old last weekend. It's amazing how they still change so much in just a few short months. She continues to be my sweet little girl who loves to cuddle when she gets up in the morning and from naps. She loves her daddy and gets so excited when she gets to spend time with him. Gracie is an awesome big sister and has become very protective of Olivia. She must know where she is at all times. Just last night Olivia was riding home with Chad and Grace was in my car, halfway home Grace realized Olivia was missing from the seat beside her. She first asked where she was but then proceeded to cry till we got home and she got to see her. She kept saying, "Liva...I want to hold her...I want Liva!". LIVA...that is the name that Grace has given to her, I guess Olivia has too many syllables. She loves to try to make Olivia smile. She will do just about anything until a smile comes out and then she announces to anyone around "Liva SMILED". She has even been able to get some giggles out of her. Grace continues to talk with more words in her sentences. Last night at church she said, "I want to see Heather painting, mommy." clear as day. She just started yelling out, "Hey guuuuuys, what you doing?". She will continue to scream it until someone answers her. She is really into emotions right now. She will run around in circles for about thirty seconds then collapse on the floor and say, "Mommy, I'm tired!". She does this with happy, silly and sad also. She is alot like her mommy and has become a picky eater. She will just look at a food and refuse to eat it because is looks "yucky" or "nasty". She loves pizza and spaghetti and her favorite drink is tea or a juice box. Every morning when we gets up she must have a "milk yogurt" a smoothie. Grace loves matching colors and is beginning to label them but usually she just yells out a color before even looks at what she is labeling. Her favorite things around the house are coloring and cutting with scissors, riding her trike, playing with babies, her dollhouse, bags and reading books. She just learned in the past month how to pedal her trike. She likes watching Word World, Blue's Clues, Cailluo, and Laurie Berkner band. She has started singing some of the songs from the Laurie Berkner songs and it so sweet to hear. She is still an easy kid to take out and about, she has learned coping skills. For instants, we have been out really late this week working on a church room. Getting home in the late hours would totally destroy some kids but Grace just sleeps late the next morning (this morning I woke her up at eleven am). She loves to know where we are going and who is going to be there. Her two favorite places are still church and soccer. I guess it will be like that for a while since that is where Chad and I spend most of our time. She diffidently has a two year old temper and loves to be INDEPENDENT. She loves to wash her hands in the sink, help mommy unload the dishwasher, help make her bed, put her clothes and shoes on by herself, buckle her carseat, bring me items for Olivia, wash her own hair and body in the bath, locks and unlocks the door and deadbolts, help cook or pour her drink. She is growing up way too fast but it is so fun to watch!

Sweet Tea!