ODUS 2.0 vol 9: BIG GIRL PANTS

Back toward the end of January I was folding a batch of laundry and watching my poor girls running around in pants that were a little too short, and shirts that were a little too tight, and was realizing how big they have gotten! I don't know what's happening.  But in the last few weeks they have really grown! In every way possible.  Not only did I have to upgrade their dressers to the next size up, but they just seem so big and grown up to me!

Exhibit A.
Just look at her!

I found these darling overalls at a thrift store for cheap and when I put her in them I immediately loved and hated them.  They are obviously darling, and she is obviously the cutest!  

But she looks so big!

She is seriously amazing.  She is smart, funny, creative, loving, independent, sweet, sometimes stubborn, thoughtful, determined, tender-hearted... basically just the best! She picks out her own clothes and dresses herself (including zippers and buttons), and she makes her own bed every morning. She's into size 4T (and a few 5T!) clothes. She can hop on one foot and she loves to dance and sing, but she usually gets shy and stops when she notices anyone watching her. Her favorite food is peanut butter and honey sandwiches, she hates getting her hair washed in the bathtub, and she sets the table for dinner.  Her favorite game is "I'm thinking of someone", and she's gotten very into make-believe playing.  Every day she is a different character (lately it's usually a disney princess, no complaints from this mama!), and she gives everyone else in the house a character to match hers, and she takes it very seriously.  She goes around the house finding little things so she can put together creative little outfits and props, and if you refer to anyone in the family by their own name rather than their character name, she is very quick to set you straight.  She is a wonderful big sister!  She's always singing and reading and talking to McKenna, and always trying to do things to make her laugh.  It really is sweet to watch.  Speaking of reading, this little girl sure does a lot of it.  I worry some days that she might just go ahead and turn into a book herself!  She loves to look through books, loves to be read to, and she loves going to the library. She has kind of gotten over the little kid section.  Now every time we go she walks right on over to the bigger kid spot where she can pick out a stack of books that will "help me learn something new!" Her last batch was spiders and insects, and this last week we traded those in for ocean animal and human body books. She loves to learn, is quick as a whip, has an incredible memory, and soaks up information like a sponge.  She is fascinated by rhyming words, and is trying really hard to learn her alphabet better.  She can pick out (by name and sound) letters A, B, C, D, S, T, P, O and M.  She talks and asks questions all day long.  And boy does she say some funny things! She keeps us laughing.  Well, and keeps us thinking.  She says the funniest things!  But also says some really smart things.  I'm often pretty surprised and amazed with the things she's thinking about.  Let's review a couple of my latest favorite Brinlee-isms

"I'm just really interested in what you are doing!"

"I didn't know that!  I learned something knew, and that's amazing!"

"I was laying in bed, and mom I realized sunkting (something), my body was doing things! My heart was pumping, and my bones were making blood cells, and I was making toots too!"

"Mom, stop singing. Moms never sing. They yes (just) cuddle kids."

"So mommy, when I grow up and have my kids, you will be a mom and a grandma!  And grandma will be... well I don't know!"

Early one morning sick with a stomach bug: "I thought I had a barfie coming.  See mom and dad? This is why I got in your bed.  My little bed didn't want this kind of mess in it."

Any time she's putting on clothes or shoes: "Oh look, these do fit me. They're just the right age!"

"Mom don't be mad, you're breaking my heart"

"Oh for crying out loud!"

"Being a big girl is hard... And having a little sister is really hard!"

"No McKenna, you've got to, got to, GOT TO be obedient!"

Saying her prayers a few weeks ago: "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for the earth, and thank you for the whole world. Thank you for our bodies, and for the bees. Please help us for that we can help the bees, and help us for that the bees can be safe in their hive and make good honey. And help us for that we can eat it, and be happy!"

"That's the puff-tic (perfect) thing for me"

When she was getting a talking to after a time out: "Well mom, I just want to do what I want to do!"

"McKenna, please can I have that? You don't know what you are doing with it anyway."

"I'm going to try to do things to invite the Holy Spirit... which is kinda weird I think, cuz he doesn't even have a body!"

"Mommy, someday I want to grow up and be a mommy just like you. That's the best thing to be!"

Oh golly we LOVE this girl!

Well, and here's another one!
Exhibit B.
Just look at this not-so-little-lady!

When I switched out her clothes for the next size up I found this little pair of jeans. She had never really worn big girl pants before (that is, jeans that are actually like jeans, rather than just stretchy baby pants that look like jeans), and as soon as they were on her I had that same love/hate relationship with them that I did with Brinlee's overalls.  I mean seriously, look at that little bum! Who doesn't love that? It's darling!

But my goodness, those pants make her look so big!  :( 

The day I put these on her was the day I officially realized our baby is gone. We have a toddler!

Oh the world has never seen a cuter little stinker.  She is sweet, smart, good, cuddly, happy, smiley, sassy, occasionally moody, goofy... in a word, pretty perfect!  She is 100% walking and starting to experiment with some running.  She goes up and down stairs, climbs herself onto and off of small chairs, and is constantly carrying around and finding new homes for all her toys, and various other household items (my book in the bathtub, Brinlee's panties in Tim's backpack, you get the idea). She is almost 16 months old now and is into size 18 month (and some smaller size 2T!) clothes.  Her favorite food is blueberries, her favorite song is Pat-A-Cake, and she loves to play peek-a-boo and chase.  She is very ticklish and has the goofiest sense of humor.  She loves to laugh, and really loves to try to make us laugh.  She's very social, she's a bit of a show-off, she likes to be the center of attention, and she's very lovey! She loves to carry around and cuddle with baby dolls, and she opens her mouth and leans in for a big wet one every time you ask for a kiss.  She puts herself down to sleep with her blankie and glowie.  She is very observant, very smart, and catches onto things quickly.  She knows and can point to her eyes, nose, teeth, hair, belly, feet, and claps her hands.  She dances to anything that remotely has a beat (the running blender is my personal favorite).  She loves to twirl around (both standing on her feet and spinning on her bum), and she'll sing "La La" if you ask for a song.  She answers yes and no questions, either with a "yeah" and nod yes, or a very enthusiastic head shake "no". She can say a few almost recognizable words now.  She does mama, dada, ball, blue (blueberry), brr, shoe, sis (sister), uh-oh, cheese, and Jesus.  Right now 'blue' and 'brr' sound a lot alike... well, and so do 'cheese' and 'Jesus', but we know what she means! She loves to practice animal sounds, she does monkey, alligator, lion, tiger, snake, puppy, pig, and elephant. She loves to build with legos, and is actually pretty good at getting them together. But her all time favorite toy is definitely her ball!  She loves clothes and playing dress-up.  I am always finding her pulling things out of the drawers and wandering around with them draped over her shoulders.  She loves necklaces and loves to watch and try to do whatever Brinlee is doing.  She actually just kind of loves Brinlee in general. It's darling!  She is getting a bit of an attitude and can be quite a little bully.  I hear a lot of "Mom! McKenna is bugging me and messing up everything!" She doesn't like to hear "no" and will dramatically run crying (fake crying is more like it) out of a room when she hears it. Her other favorite is to just crumble face down on the floor when things aren't going her way and fake cry right into the carpet.  And she is really perfecting an awesome grumpy looking furrowed eyebrow scowl.  Such a drama queen.  She signs please and waves bye-bye and night-night.  She has 8 little teeth, and her hair holds one little pony tail that sticks straight up out of the top of her head.  She loves it when daddy comes home!  She folds her arms for prayers. She smiles and laughs all the time and does the sweetest little squinty-eyed toothy smile when she's in a goofy happy mood.  She is usually fairly independent and is often pretty content to just be up in her room playing.  Her very favorite thing in the world though is to look at books and be read to.  She brings me book after book and backs herself up into my lap where she swings and kicks her little feet while pointing to and talking excitedly about every picture.  If I'd let her it's all we would do all day.  She can't get enough!  And I suppose I can't either. Having her little bum in my lap is my favorite thing!

Oh heavens how we love this little face!

I sent Tim a picture of the girls one day while I had them out shopping with me.  They were just being so sweet and looked so cute sitting together in the cart.  He texted back and said "Wow. This isn't real life".  Which I think perfectly sums up how we feel most of the time.  We feel so very blessed to be mommy and daddy to these little angels,

and their cute little bottoms,

in their cute big girl pants!