She can do jumping jacks if she really concentrates, but they quickly deteriorate which is hilarious for anyone watching.
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| helping Daddy with push ups |
She can write her name, sort of. She gets most of the letters but not always facing the right way or in the right order.
She almost always wants to sing the Cat Chat version of the Hail Mary for her night-time prayer. She asks her name-saints to pray for her each night, but has a special love for Mary. That's good, because she's going to need it.
She prefers daily Mass to Sunday Mass, because it's shorter. She will tell anyone, loudly, that she does not like to go to church. During Mass, she cannot be still or quiet. She will often cry that she is too tired to stand or kneel, at which she is told children who cannot stand or kneel during Mass cannot play on the playground after Mass. That will get her body moving, but the wailing and gnashing of teeth continues.
Notice how everyone else looks awesome below...and then there's Second Daughter. Kansas Dad says this picture captures her perfectly.
She has only two chores (though I've been meaning to increase that). She has to change from pajamas to clothes before breakfast and she has to clear her plate and cup after every meal. Have you seen the video online of the girl carrying her bowl two feet to the sink and sobbing hysterically that it's too heavy and too far? Yeah, that's Second Daughter.
She is the most disobedient child! She is particularly difficult at bed-time; she will just chatter and play in the dark in her room for an hour or more after bedtime. Some days she tells me, though, "Today I'm going to try to be good." And melts my heart.
She loves the salt box and all the activities in the Montessori cabinet, but she dumps them all at the same time (or leaves them where Second Son can do so) and gets in trouble.
She hates eating her vegetables but will choke them down if necessary to get candy or desert. (Really, I never saw someone choke something down before.) She loves all candy. Unlike the other children, we have to strictly monitor her during candy-time or she will simply keep eating until we take her bag away.
She loves to brush her teeth. I think it's because the toothpaste is sweet.
She requested a Winnie-the-Pooh cake - chocolate with chocolate chips in it - for her birthday. A wonderful friend is making it for us because cakes are not my thing. Her party will be combined with her brother (who turns two in four days) and she is already excited about it: hot dogs, Cheetos, and chocolate cake. It's practically heaven.
I think she's getting thinner, but she is still perfectly soft and squishy. She doesn't like to be tickled (or so she sometimes tell us) but she will still usually grant a hug when asked.
She loves to dance. She'll spin and leap like a ballerina. She also loves to dress up before her dances (or anytime).
She loves to draw and make other art, especially using the contents of the craft box. Give that girl a piece of paper, some scissors, a glue stick and some stuff and she's a happy girl for hours. Sadly, she also tries to draw murals on her closet door and random walls all around the house.
She talks far too often about cutting her own hair for my liking.
She has an interesting fashion sense. She believes in layers for all weather, including the broiling heat of summer.
She started swimming lessons for the first time this summer. She loves playing in the baby pool during First Son and First Daughter's lesson time. Her lessons are mainly blowing bubbles and learning to put her head under water, but she's thrilled to be big enough for them.
Kansas Dad says, "She's full of life. She's the opposite in many ways of her mother." And now everyone who knows us in real life can laugh because they'll know exactly what he means.
Happy birthday my dear sweet baby girl!
