Leila loves...

• Acting "big" and reminding me sweetly, "Leila big."  

• Coloring.  Even though she normally just uses one color...brown.

• Pretzels, granola bars, our daily green smoothie, milk, pork tenderloin, any and every fruit, black beans, cookies, and cheese.

• Yo Gabba Gabba, Micky Mouse Club House, and Baby Signing Time.

• Shopping at Target and running errands with me in general.

• Her best friend Charlie, her stuffed animals, her pacifiers, and her blanket.

• Playing pretend, young kids, swimming, climbing, walking (instead of being in her stroller), bike rides, and doing whatever I do.

• Books.  She likes us to read to her and also likes reading by herself. Her current favorites are Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?, Goodnight Moon, LMNO Peas, No, David!, and  On the Night You Were Born. 

• Family hugs, her bedtime routine with Daddy, and snuggling with Mommy.

Bossy-pants

Actually, it's Miss Bossy-pants to you.

Here's a rundown of what my almost-two year old has been heard saying lately:

Don't like that.

Go away Mommy.

It's mine, not yours.  It's mine.

Stop!

No Mommy, keep it right there.

Sit down Mommy.

Me do it.  You do it.  No, me do it.

My friend, Amy, and her daughter Kennady hung out with us last week.  I can't remember what I said to Leila, but Amy's response to me was..."Hmmm, I wonder where she gets it from?!"  She was only half-joking.

Looks like PLEASE is going to become the most overused word in my vocabulary.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Having a toddler makes you look at the world differently. It also makes you step back and look at your self...

because if you do it, they do it.

Leila has been mimicking us for some time now. It started with smiles, then onto gestures, facial expressions, and sounds. Now she mimics everything!

Jeff coughs and then Leila coughs three seconds later. Aunt Val and I stretch after a run, and there's Leila stretching too. Grandpa puts a block in her shirt and I find her doing the same. She will run to the trash can (pretending to have a piece of something in her hand) after someone throws garbage away. And I definitely have to be very careful that I do not scratch my head while she's eating peanut butter.

Here's my little monkey mimicking Grandma.

Loveable Leila



I've already convinced her vacuuming, cleaning the kitchen floor, and doing dishes are fun. Can I get her to fold the laundry too?