Kate is an adventurous and curious 2 year old in every way.
She likes to figure out how things work, and she can hardly constrain herself from touching everything in sight. (This has been quite frustrating with THINGS everywhere while we unpack from moving.) Kate just thinks it is great fun to toss stacks of business cards on the floor, throw clean laundry all over her room, and rearrange our shoes by the front door.
She likes to figure out how things work, and she can hardly constrain herself from touching everything in sight. (This has been quite frustrating with THINGS everywhere while we unpack from moving.) Kate just thinks it is great fun to toss stacks of business cards on the floor, throw clean laundry all over her room, and rearrange our shoes by the front door.
Reading is one of Kate's favorite past times. She rarely has the attention to sit through a whole complete story, but she loves to grab a book, climb on the couch and say, "Mommy sit!? Daddy sit!?" and have us "more read-a-book" (all one word) with her. Right now her rotating favorites are Fox in Socks, Curious George (the monkey book) and The Giving Tree. She will sit on the couch for quite a while saying, "Box, Knox, Fox, Socks, who come? goo come! Beedoos beedoos, Baddle baddle baddle." No matter what book it is. Jon and I both have at least half of Fox in Socks memorized. We read it 5+ times daily.
Kate is starting to recognize emotions in stories. While reading Curious George the other day, one of the pictures depicted George getting sprayed by a skunk and running away with his eyes closed. Kate immediately pointed to George and said, "Oh, monkey sad!"
My goal now that we're settling in is to create more projects for Kate to get involved with. Up until now I have not really taken advantage of her creativity. Somehow toddlerhood snuck up on me! I'm sure that having Edwin, moving 2 states over, and preparing for school at a 4 year University has something to do with it. Kate has therefore combined her need for creativity to my studying and loves to leave me surprises:
I follow Alisa Burke here on her blog and she has a toddler herself. Although Alisa has a style very different from my own, I find her really inspiring. And she even lives in Oregon! How cool is that? :) She recently did a post on her top 5 favorite activities to do with a toddler and regularly comments on how much Lucy has enriched her life and helps her see the world differently. I wish I was to the point where I could let go this much and incorporate Kate into whatever we're doing! I've found that a lot of what Jon and I do is not super kid-friendly (woodburning, for example.) But I do try to have Kate sit on my lap while I sew and she likes to help me put the pins back in my pincushion.
Katherine loves to wear necklaces and have me put lipgloss on her. She also is very fond of play glasses and knows where the nail polish is in the bathroom. She's always picking out colors and asking me to paint her toes :)
She wears everyone's shoes and loves to go on walks with Margo. She HAS to hold the leash. Our favorite place to visit is the community garden at our apartment complex.
Kate puts together great little sentences. It's so fun to have her talk to me! She always asks to "sit counter??" when I'm cooking or baking, and she really likes to stir with me. She knows "very hot", "really yucky", and "very cold." She is also a much more cooperative eater now that she has all her teeth. She will try pretty much anything, even fritata with mushrooms, or pastrami sandwiches. Her favorite foods are waffles, eggs, "keppich" (ketchup), "pashaw" (pasta), "yogurt", "cheese" (string cheese), and "applesaw" (applesauce).
Kate really enjoys helping around the house. The more I give her to do, the happier she is.
She does not like to sit idle (although she is great at reading to herself and playing independently). If there are things happening, she wants to be involved. I like to have her transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer with me. Today when I stacked all the cloth diaper prefolds to be put away, she picked up the whole stack and carried them into her room to put in the drawer without even being asked!
Katherine loves to wear necklaces and have me put lipgloss on her. She also is very fond of play glasses and knows where the nail polish is in the bathroom. She's always picking out colors and asking me to paint her toes :)
She wears everyone's shoes and loves to go on walks with Margo. She HAS to hold the leash. Our favorite place to visit is the community garden at our apartment complex.
Kate puts together great little sentences. It's so fun to have her talk to me! She always asks to "sit counter??" when I'm cooking or baking, and she really likes to stir with me. She knows "very hot", "really yucky", and "very cold." She is also a much more cooperative eater now that she has all her teeth. She will try pretty much anything, even fritata with mushrooms, or pastrami sandwiches. Her favorite foods are waffles, eggs, "keppich" (ketchup), "pashaw" (pasta), "yogurt", "cheese" (string cheese), and "applesaw" (applesauce).
Kate really enjoys helping around the house. The more I give her to do, the happier she is.
She does not like to sit idle (although she is great at reading to herself and playing independently). If there are things happening, she wants to be involved. I like to have her transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer with me. Today when I stacked all the cloth diaper prefolds to be put away, she picked up the whole stack and carried them into her room to put in the drawer without even being asked!
Lately I've noticed that I sing a lot around the house - while doing laundry, making dinner, changing diapers, etc... Kate is not a fan. Almost immediately into my humming or "la-la-la"ing she says, "No mommy!! No mommy!! No mommy!!" over and over again until I stop.
Although she doesn't really care for MY voice, she does like to sing on her own :) It's been fun to hear her make up songs about me baking cookies or muffins. I love watching the way the kids interact with and understand their own world.
One of my favorite things that Kate does is that whenever we're out with Margo and the mail lady comes, Kate will insist on sitting at the curb to watch the "big truck". She just enjoys the simple things! I mean, when was the last time that we had a great day just watching the post be sorted?
Although she doesn't really care for MY voice, she does like to sing on her own :) It's been fun to hear her make up songs about me baking cookies or muffins. I love watching the way the kids interact with and understand their own world.
One of my favorite things that Kate does is that whenever we're out with Margo and the mail lady comes, Kate will insist on sitting at the curb to watch the "big truck". She just enjoys the simple things! I mean, when was the last time that we had a great day just watching the post be sorted?
Kate also
loves nature which includes collecting leaves, sticks, and rocks. There is a field outside of our building where
we take Margo to potty, and there are rocks strewn about. One day Kate
picked up the HUGEST rock she could and carried it back to me, informing
me that the "Rock is sleeping" and then shushed it softly. :)
One of Kate's recent obsessions has been getting naked. She will take off all her clothes (including her diaper) whenever possible. Most of the time this involves some dancing. It's been hilarious and frustrating because there's no consistent reason for it! She just loves to run free.
Kate is really turning into the sweetest little girl. She apologizes on her own when she bumps into people or animals (even inanimate objects like lamps!) and we can see her starting to empathize and understand when others are hurt. Today at the end of nursery a little boy started crying, and while he was being comforted by one of the nursery leaders, Kate went right over and gave him a big hug! She always wants to help and comfort others. I'm so thankful for her in our family and glad that Edwin has her for a big sister forever.
One of Kate's recent obsessions has been getting naked. She will take off all her clothes (including her diaper) whenever possible. Most of the time this involves some dancing. It's been hilarious and frustrating because there's no consistent reason for it! She just loves to run free.
Kate is really turning into the sweetest little girl. She apologizes on her own when she bumps into people or animals (even inanimate objects like lamps!) and we can see her starting to empathize and understand when others are hurt. Today at the end of nursery a little boy started crying, and while he was being comforted by one of the nursery leaders, Kate went right over and gave him a big hug! She always wants to help and comfort others. I'm so thankful for her in our family and glad that Edwin has her for a big sister forever.
1 comment:
What a great post. Seriously. I am glad you are writing about this time with her, and enjoying what CAN be a really frustrating age. She is beautiful. Inside and out. And I am happy to see her grow, even though we are so far apart now!
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