Two Years Old!!!

Katelyn had a Minnie Mouse birthday party. So fun!

How am I supposed to eat this cupcake with a candle in it?!?

Katelyn at two years old...

Favorite foods: blueberries, broccoli, applesauce, turkey, sausage, cheese, or anything Daddy is eating
Favorite activities: painting, chalk, coloring, playing with Annabelle, playing "Boo" (hide and seek)
Favorite songs: Holy, Holy, Holy; Jesus Loves Me; Wheels on the Bus; E-I-E-I-O
Favorite animal: dog, followed by Louie (Mia's cat) and Shamus (Carolyn and Stephen's cat)
Favorite toys: bracelets, books, toy shopping cart
Favorite phrase: "What happened??"

Common phrases in our home lately: 
"No Katelyn! Don't paint your arm with ______!!!!" (yogurt, applesauce, hand soap, etc.) And when I say arm, I mean her ENTIRE little arm. She's quick. And thorough.

"Walk away, ______ (Mommy, Daddy, Baylor). Walk away." This is the phrase she uses anytime she is ready to dismiss someone or something. She learned it at school, and I see the value of teaching it to kids to prevent toddler arguments. But it's hard not to laugh when she says it at home. She's getting better about nicely saying, "Please walk away" when saying it at home.

"I DO IT!!!" This applies to so many, many things. She wants- and usually finds a way- to independently do whatever she has her mind set on, even if it's not the best idea. ANYthing she sees Mommy or Daddy doing, she insists on doing herself (even if it means undoing something that has already been done, like making another mess just so she can clean it up herself).

"Sing it, Mommy." This often happens in the car on the way to/from school. No matter what the topic, Katelyn instructs me to "sing it", which means I need to make up a song on the spot. I'm usually glad Katelyn and I are the only ones in the car to hear it.

"Tastes funny." This started when I unknowingly gave her some spoiled milk. She refused to drink it, and I didn't force her. She kept saying it tasted funny. Now, whenever she doesn't want to eat something, she says "tastes funny."

"Mark, Set, Go!" Since she runs everywhere she goes, why not make it a race?

"Lively" is a family name on my side that goes back several generations. Genetics did not disappoint. This child is bursting at the seams with energy. What she lacks in attention span, she makes up for in energy level. And her memory is scary good. She recalls EVERYTHING about a situation: people, places, the route to get there, tone of voice, emotions, etc. Months later (long after I've forgotten), she'll tell you all about it. It's interesting to me how she can move so quickly from one thing to another, yet still absorb every detail.

She is still acting two, of course, but is otherwise at a really fun age!