sarah caroline,
you are TWO years old! my, oh my.
you've been two for over a week now.... a busy, busy two year old you have been!
we partied hard with the entire family the weekend before your birthday. grandma stayed for your "birthday week". we celebrated your real birthday on monday with number 2 shaped yellow donuts... went to the zoo... and had the greens over for dinner and cupcakes. grandma played hard with us and flew out thursday morning. aunt liz took you birthday shopping and hung out thursday, until time to load the car and head to guymon for dad's hs reunion and pioneer days... now we are just kind of chilling and reflecting and doing laundry and soaking in what it's like to be T W O
you are all two!
here goes the rambling... i just feel it coming... my heart is too full to have organized thoughts. and if i wait to organize, i'll never push publish.......
you are busy busy busy
seriously, never stop
you go full force with all you do --
you are so nurturing... i've said it before, but i nope this means i'll have tons of grandbabies :)... you have babies everywhere and are constantly rocking, swaddling, feeding, shushing, patting.... we often have to quiet the house because the babies are sleeping... and rarely leave the house without one - or five - in tow. i could watch you love your babies all day long. and i'm a sucker at the store with you... we often add babies to our family. you just love them so much.
you are very in to the family unit. when you see a set of 3 - it's a family... living or not. the big one is dad, little one is baby...and whatever else is floating around becomes mom.
you are joy.... what did we do without you? you make me laugh every single day. you really are hilarious... and you're starting to know it... your little sarcastic smile makes me a little nervous. i specifically remember my mom telling me as a little girl "sometimes mommy and daddy are too sarcastic, but it's not sweet when little girls are." .... :)
you are beautiful! everyone comments on your dimples and big, blue eyes
you are TALL. so tall. i wish i could be more detailed, but i haven't even scheduled your two year appointment yet
you LOVE to help. you drag a breakfast room chair to the counter top the second i walk into the kitchen
you are VERY strong willed. we have had some super hard weeks. you test me. and i try so hard to be consistent and stay on top of this... but it is soooo hard. you seem to exert your will most when we are in public - group settings - out of town (of course. ;)) ... but, we are working together and since turning two, we have been in the sweetest, most affectionate, obedient, precious season. i'm thankful for seasons... because when we are in them midst of a trying week, i know that our persistence will pay off and another season is ahead. i am convinced that God will use this strength to do mighty things in His name. ... and I'm thankful He is there to guide me through some of these hard days when we are going head to head. ;)
you prefer showers to baths... funny girl.
you love any sort of tickling game... like ladybugs/elephants on your back and pizza pizza pumpernickle
you and dad could watch your shows on the iPad for hours on end... you constantly ask for iPad... and my answer 99% of the time is "you can watch a show with dad after dinner"
you are obsessed with Max Lucado's wemmicks shows... specifically green nose
you also love Tangled, Nemo, Madeline, the the old Disney classics of Ugly Duckling and 3 pigs... and I must add (although i loathe the whiny little guy) CAILLOU... you think he's the greatest.
reading comes in spurts... right now you're loving Madeline... along with the other regulars
food... CHEESE! donut holes. avocado. any fruit. sweet potatoes. fish. chicken. greek yogurt. spaghetti/pizza - you love red sauce. almond butter and yogurt on a tortilla... really, you eat anything most of the time. lately, you have been an AWESOME eater. you fast sometimes, but i suppose when you're hungry you eat.
carousel horses... last time we went to the zoo you rode 4 times! we rarely go to the mall... but when we do, one of the perks is the carousel!!!
CHOCOLATE MILK! my goodness.. you L O V E chocolate milk. you ask for it every hour of the day. today i bought ingredients to make our own "healthIER" syrup... b/c you consume SO MUCH.
outside. you love to be outside. most days we go to the park, and you could live there. i wish we were in a more long-term house and we could have a backyard swingset installed...you'd love it. we were at the park tuesday, and i think you were in the swing for 30 minutes. blissfully swinging. sweet. ... you're also crazy about the slide. we do have your swing and little slide out back - and they get a TON of use. :)... you love working in the yard with us... pushing your stroller around the block, riding in your stroller, bike rides in the trailer, playing ball with bertie... and the WATER HOSE. it's your best friend... our plants get ample amounts of water. not sure you'll understand if we have to water ration this summer :-|
trains.... could watch them all day... would love to have a train table - absolutely drawn to them at toy stores!
naps. nahhh. you really don't nap much unless we are out and about between 1 and 3. if so, you'll fall asleep in the car/stroller/bike trailer... if not, you're just to busy to consciously close your eyes. that's ok with me. napless days are long, but we make due :)
ninner. yes, yes you do still nurse at night. i know! it's something i'm passionate about. it's something you love. it's SO good for both of us. we are ready to start weaning... and are working that way. but i'm in no hurry... and your heart will be shattered... you start asking literally the second you wake up and i answer "it's not time... at bedtime" and you smile the cutest, flirty smile like "i know... just thought i'd try"
sleep... yep, right between dad and i. yep, that's how we want it. nope, no plan to change it until you're married ;).... and NO way have you EVER slept through the night... neither have I in 2+ years... here's to night time mother/daughter bonding!
you LOVE going to church... you love your little class. your teachers are fabulous. i might hold on to the door and kick and scream when they promote you in august. :( i'm sure someone as wonderful awaits... but the mushrush's are just amazing in every way and they truly truly love you and love to teach you about Jesus.
we try to go to 2 storytimes a week - but that doesn't always happen. our favorite is at the library... we do fun songs/finger plays/listen to stories and blow bubbles... sometime we stay after for stay & play... it's a favorite part of our week!
we love to craft... we do lots of fun things with your hand print... you love that! play doh, painting, coloring, beads, STICKERS!, tracing.... i wish we were organized enough for a daily craft time... we at least play with stickers and color everyday... in your perfect world... we would paint for 5 hours a day!
words... they're endless... you can repeat any and everything... your vocabulary grows by the hour. it absolutely is amazing to me. you are precious.
hair... the cut is extreme... not really what i had in mind... but you do still look precious... not the sweet little girl look that we go for... but hey, it grows! :)
clothes (your closet is embarrassing)... i'm buying 3t/4t now... yes, i do tend to buy big... but you're probably a solid 3t right now, or 2t in some boutique brands.... size 7/8 shoes...
you're learning your numbers and letters... you've got your name figured out pretty much (recognition)... thanks to a great puzzle from mama.... you can identify the letter and tell me what it stands for
c= caroline and catherine, a=amy, r=roro, o= oak jack, l=laura, i=(this one is hard) insect/inside n=nonnie, e=emily........ you're a pro at your colors
we drive through starbucks a lot - it's the most convenient coffee shop for us... and they happen to have cake pops!! you LOVE cake pops and start chanting for one when you see that green circle sign! before, it was juice box... but cake pops win. my little sneak through the drive through for an afternoon latte is becoming more expensive ;)
bertie - you say her name ALL the time... for the first 23.5 months of your life she was "mooh mooh" - you know how you push your lips together and call a dog. we'd beg for you to say her name... "sarcastic grin and the lip call"... oh caroline.... all the sudden you started saying "bebo, bertie, bertie-girl" and you call her constantly. your relationship still isn't that of an old lab and child, cuddling, etc... but yall do play from time to time and if she doesn't want to play with you, she just leaves... she's SO good with you. she does protect you... though she doesn't want to realize she is... when a dog walks down the street and you're outside... she growls and walks toward the dog. i like that.
what do we call you? i actually call you sarah caroline a whole lot... never even crossed my mind that i would use your full name... but i LOVE it. big big meaning there, and it's beautiful... and so are you.... there is still the occasional liney, liney-lou... but caro, ro, roro have really taken off.... Ro just seems to fit you.
so basically our days consist of food, babies, park and family... our days are good. i'm thankful for them!
i'm sure i'm leaving off some very important tid-bits about you. maybe some of our family or friends that read this very long long and rambling post will leave a comment about YOU and what they love about you and what they think of when they think of YOU?? :) i'd like that.
sarah caroline - you bring me great joy. i am thankful for you and what you mean to us. i know that the Lord will use your strength, beauty and nurturing heart to glorify Him in unimaginable ways! I'm thankful he gave you to me to love :)
i do love you. so much.
happy birthday, sweetest girl in the world :)
mom :)
