It Happened One Night...

At least that is how it seems. So here it comes again, that familiar tune about how fast it all goes- the tune that seems to be continuously looping in the background of our daily life.  I am certain it took a bit longer but it seems as if we woke up one morning to a little girl.   Call it a triple or maybe even a home run for within the past month we have said goodbye to diapers, the high chair and bibs and hello to first ballet shoes and a great big personality!  Lila has gone from baby to little mommy of her dolls and stuffed animals- her “old” diapers are now cinched tight on teddy bear bellies  as they are put in their place for story time and flash card lessons.  These are great days for stealing moments to slow it all down, peak around the corner and watch.

Along with all of the new milestones to celebrate we also have become acquainted with what I like to call the “2 and half sass.”  The Academy Awards will of course be announced at the end of the month but Lila is definitely a front runner for best dramatic performance by a toddler.  Life is hard for this little girl – between the angst of naps, tooth brushing, hair combing and getting dressed Greg and I are clearly the most horrid of tormentors.   When asked to do just about anything, Lila replies with the now standard, “5 minutes,” a casual directive once given by Greg now forever parroted.  And the other standard reply to,  “Lila wash your hands” or “Lila time to take a bath,” “No, I did that last night.”  Of course as 2 and a half year olds have no concept of “last night” or “5 minutes” we do our best to laugh and to teach her that “5 minutes” goes by quite quickly and that we should bathe daily.

The drama continues as Lila seems to have developed a bit of an affinity for performing.  Thanks to Guitar Bob at school, dance lessons, a new ukulele and the toddler channel on Pandora we are the proud parents of a pint-sized travelling minstrel.  And while I do wish they had written a few more words to the old standby, “B-I-N-G-O” at least the girl sings with gusto and seems to have rhythm.  I half expect her to burst through the bedroom door one day strumming away on her ukulele (perfect size for a “mini-guitar”) singing the “the hills are alive….”  or perhaps “Piano Man” as she has positioned her microphone on top of her mini piano to better facilitate her vocal amplification while tinkling the ivories.

 

So while getting dressed and out of the door every morning, along with many other things, takes longer and are mini-battles, I keep reminding Greg that she is testing her boundaries- we just need to move soon because we need more space for all of this performing!

What’s New:  At her 2.5 old check-up last week Lila measured in at 26.6 lbs and 34.5" inches.  She officially transitioned to the big girl potty in early January and even wakes up to tell us when she needs to "go".  At 30 months Lila transitioned to the "Old Toddler" classroom at school and loves all of the new challenges and lessons- practicing letters and numbers.  Lila’s favorite movies are “Rio” and “The Great Muppet Caper” and she has just recently discovered Mickey Mouse.  Lila will play for long stretches in her kitchen, coloring, playing with her instruments and acting as little mommy- complete with putting her dolls in time out.  Lila continues to have a great food curiosity and we do a lot of prep on the floor- making lasagna, pizza, casseroles and of course cookies!