1. She is our most independent, and yet our most affectionate child.
2. She loves all thing feminine.
3. She has loved books since she was a baby and it has not diminished. She can sit and look at or listen to books for hours.
4. She is almost always found wearing a princess dress and slippers
5. "Mommy, I have two things to tell you..."
6. Her smile is pure sunshine.
7. She is all girl.
8. She is tough as nails.
9. "Daddy, why you laughing..."
10. We love the way she says girl. It sounds like "gull". We ask her questions to get her to say it all the time. "Sissy, are you a boy or a girl? Is Afton a boy or a girl? Is Rose a boy or a girl? Is Mommy a boy or a girl?" She is not on to us yet.
11. When all five of us and Cattie are in one room she throws her arms up and proclaims "Our whole family!" with heart melting joy. Priceless.
12. She could play outside for hours. She is in her own world out there!
13. She is fearless.
14. Actually she has one fear. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. We can't even mention him without her tearfully exclaiming "He make a mean face at me!" Then she will think for a minute smile up at me and say, "But he's nice at the end!"
15. Everyday at tea time when I ask her what she is grateful for she smiles and points at Afton.
16. She hasn't quite gotten her days figured out. When I ask her her favorite or saddest part of the day her answer is usually something that happened weeks ago.
17. For a long time the saddest part of her day everyday was when a little girl in the church nursery told her that she was two. "She said she's two and I'm not two! But I am two, Mommy, and that friend said I am not two!" I am not exaggerating when I say this took months for her to get over.
18. She prances everywhere she goes.
19. She has recently added a new move to her prancing where extends her arms as far as she can down her legs and stick her fingers out and twitters them around. Looks like some Broadway dance move.
20. She loves flowers and wants to pick every one she sees.
21. She is still tipping her car seat over.
22. She loves spelling her name only she spells it A-F-T-O-N.
23. There is no reasoning with her.
24. She stills needs a big after nap snuggle.
25. Sleeping Beauty is still her favorite princess.
26. Every night she insists I "cover her like Sleeping Beauty". That means all the bedcovers must look perfect like they do in the bed where Sleeping Beauty waits for her Prince.
27. She gets out of bed MANY times most nights and then cries and cries to be covered 'like Sleeping Beauty" again.
28. She likes for Daddy to "be" Prince Philip and pretend to "murry" her.
29. Instead of him she says hum. "Where's Daddy? I wanna murry hum!"
30. She does NOT like to be called silly.
31. She can be a touch moody and will say on those occasions "No one talk to me. I just wanna be quiet!"
32. She loves animals and loves the zoo.
33. She calls the cows who live at the edge of our neighborhood "farms" and waves hello and goodbye to the farms each time we pass. Please don't ever let her start calling them cows.
34. At the end of a story instead of saying "The End" she says "Good End."
35. Even though she is only two she regularly has discussions with her sister and friends about which movies are or are not available on Netflix Instant.
36. When she sees me cooking she smiles and says "What I can help with?"
37. Sometimes she plays with an imaginary friend named Nica (pronounced nice-uh). Nica has an arch enemy named Meanie.
38. Her other pretend friend is named Karecka (AKA Princess Karecka).
39. "Thas kooky!"
40. When she is trying to convince you of something she always says "No, I really remember!"
41. She likes to come in Mommy's bed and snuggle in the early morning hours. When she gets bored she just hops out of bed makes mischief in Mommy's room or Daddy's office.
42. She has loved snuggling for her whole life.
43. She has loved making mischief for her whole life.
44. She holds her dress out to the side like a princess everywhere she goes.
45. She loves the idea of being the smaller sister. "Afton's a big girl, but I'm small."
46. She prefers music CDs to story CDs and always asks "Can we do music like la la la?"
47. She loves dancing and can't wait to start ballet after her birthday.
48. She wants to do everything that Afton does, but is fine Afton doing things first because she is bigger. Like I said she relishes the idea of being small.
49. Jake and The Neverland Pirates is her favorite show right now. She loves to pretend she is Izzy.
50. She loves getting cards in the mail. She carries them around for days.
51. She is still working on potty training, but she is getting close.
52. She is very curious.
53. Her curiosity often gets the best of her judgment.
54. She is an emotional little girl.
55. She really wants to be in the same Sunday School class as Afton.
56. When somebody has something that is the same color as hers (shirt, cup, anything) she will exclaim "Look! You're twins as me!
57. She can jump a baby gate like it ain't no thang.
58. She keeps asking when it is going to be Christmas again.
59. She doesn't like "yucky 'mercials".
60. She loves Special Agent Oso and Digi-medals.
61. She loves for Daddy to give her a big sip from his water bottle and snuggle her for a little bit at bedtime.
62. She loves to sleep in Mommy's bed when Daddy is out of town.
63. She still doesn't like the part of waties where she actually gets washed.
63. She still loves the playing part of waties.
64. She loves going to the park.
65. Every time we pass the park near our house she shouts "I see our favorite park!"
66. She loves going to the mall playground.
67. "Can we play a lil bit?"
68. "Mommy, can I do that when I'm a Mommy?"
69. She really wants a trophy.
70. She loves to pretend that Daddy is her prince.
71. She loves to play wedding with Daddy.
72. She calls Rose "our special baby".
73. She is a pantry raider and car seat cheerio scavenger.
74. She finds a way.
75. She is Afton's best friend and Afton is her hero.
76. She doesn't like to feel left out.
77. She is an observer.
78. There is a lot going on in her tiny brain that she keeps just to herself.
79. When she is happy she glows.
80. We think she looks like a Tolkien elf.
81. When she sleeps she looks like an angel.
82. She can't wait to go back to Disney World someday.
83. She has a stubborn streak that is no joke.
84. She LOVES her family.
85. She always gets breathless when she tells a story.
86. "I went this way, this way, this way then I bonked off."
87. "I'm drinky."
88. Her genuine little laugh is one of the most delightful sounds I have ever heard.
89. She loves babies.
90. She is a thinker.
91. She is a tester.
92. She is a lover and a fighter.
93. She loves learning new songs at breakfast time. There Is A Redeemer has been her favorite this year.
94. She always chooses the yellow tea cup.
95. She still has an iron will.
96. She has a priceless heart of gold to go with it.
97. Three years ago today she exploded onto our scene like a fourth of July firecracker.
98. From that day on she has enriched each one of our lives immeasurably.
99. She's our little sunshine baby and she fills our home with light and warmth.
100. Happy Birthday Ponder Sissy! Your "whole family" loves you dearly and is so thankful you belong to us!
We had a good purge!
I never tire of a good baby sleeping shot!
UPDATE: Afton completed her thumb sucking chart! "Mrs. Teapot" was her reward. "I promise to always share her, Mommy." She makes me so proud. I don't deserve her.
