Good Girl

I know I've posted a picture similar to this already, but I can't help but think my little girl is adorable when she's trying to be like Momma (or Daddy). Here's a list of some things she's done lately.

- She wants to put makeup and lotion on like Momma does. I keep my hand mirror hanging over the toilet seat. In the mornings she climbs on the toilet, asks me for some makeup props, and then looks carefully into the mirror while dusting her face with imaginary blush or dabbing her cheeks with lotion. She also asks for hand sanitizer followed by a dollop of lotion after diaper changes, just like Mom.

- She is loving that Spring actually feels like spring and always wants to go outside. She's learned that, in order to be ready to go outside, we have to have shoes on. She's become good at locating her socks and shoes- or just her sandals- and brings them over for me to put on her. She's become frustrated, however, that I'm not always ready to go when she is. She has therefore also started bringing her shoes and my shoes to me, and if Daddy is home, she'll fetch his as well. Then she grabs a blanket or stuffed animal, our playground bag, and sometimes touches her head, indicating the need for a hat. I guess we get each other ready in the mornings.

- This past week she's been such a sweetheart that I've let her get away with staying up a half an hour to an hour past her bedtime. Tonight I asked her if she was ready to get in bed and she said "no", to which I told her that it was bed time anyway. She replied by saying "uh-oh!" and rand over to a pile of books she had recently pulled from the book basket. One by one she said "uh-oh" and put a book back in the basket. When all the books were put away she politely let me kiss her goodnight and walked to the bedroom where Daddy put her to bed without a fuss. I didn't realize she'd been noticing how I usually pick up toy clutter at bedtime...

- She's had a runny nose and been drooly all week. Her face is red and cracking from nose wiping. I feel terrible that she has have such miserable symptoms in light of her recent dedication to being a good girl. Two weeks ago (when I thought we had hit the terrible two's early) I might not have minded quite so much... I'm pretty sure that makes me a terrible mother. As it is I ended up crying on the phone with the pediatrician's office when they told me there's not really a recommendation to help runny noses in children under two. Two weeks ago I still would have called, but I don't know if I would have cried.

- Reese is growing out of her high chair. Sometimes she refuses to sit in it. She'd rather be in a normal chair like her parents.

- She's finally starting to talk. She likes to repeat things that we say, and says "see ya" when we leave someone. She doesn't just wave and greet people, though, she also issues salutations to the birds when we're outside.