Morgan is 2 1/2 and has us all wrapped around her finger! She's definitely trying to assert her independence and sheer will power more often than I am prepared to battle with but it's fun to see her vocabulary and interests growing each day!
Riding her "osee" on the rocky road.
While the kids are at school, Morgan lines up all the animals and babies in the house and has them talk to each other, rides in the stroller or baby-backpack, or take naps all wrapped up in blanket beds she makes for them. She likes to play with Legos too and help me cook. She's not fond of cleanup time or bathtime most recently and will stamp her foot and throw an arm down in defiance with a serious down-brow scowl. The only way I was able to trim her nails last night was to promise to paint her toes and fingers. A friend had done it to her a month ago and so I gave it a try one other time. This time however, she was so good at sitting still it was amazing to me. She adeptly straddles being girly and tomboy with ease - prefers pink anything when given a choice but runs to keep up with the boys in all their games and wanderings.
She has been trying to give up naps by singing the time away. Her aunt Tamsyn got some video last week of her singing over and over, "Mommy, Daddy a come" and variations of that at the top of her lungs. She's often singing little things she makes up with her limited vocabulary but we sure get a kick out of it in the car, at bedtime, or while she's off playing in her room alone. The best is when she's dancing to it too!
The kids are excited for the baby to come and will hug, kiss and even talk to my belly a little each day. Morgan tried to show the baby her picture from FHE the other night by putting it under my shirt. No serious public flashings to report yet, but I've still got three months left!
Morgan's favorite things to eat are berries, oatmeal, eggs, yogurt and peanuts or sometimes carrots and cucumbers. She always have to sit and have cereal with the boys in the morning, but usually only sips the milk out. Grrr. This also means she needs a different breakfast meal. When given something she likes, she'll immediately say, "I 'av-a-mr afa dis, wite a Mom?" translates to "I'll have more after this, right Mom?" But if she doesn't like what I offer . . .
Doing Battle
"I hun-we, Mom!" is her anthem. I give her two choices which she screams at me for and I walk away telling her no food until she says sorry and picks one of those choices. Right now it is my most aggravating repeated battle with her every day. She'll finally give in and make a selection within ten minutes and sometimes the tantrum goes on that long or she loses interest and goes to play. My favorite is when she'll be an angel in a waiting room until I'm just sitting down to talk to a doctor and she'll start her tantrum in that moment. ARGH! Where did my angel go?!
She hates being in her car seat and is always wiggling out or undoing the top buckle of the harness. Her other power trip is to take off her shoes and refuse to put them back on. She knows how to put them on for the most part and I have to talk myself off a ledge and remind myself she's only 2 and hungry/tired during our usual car outings to the school or practices.
Greetings and Partings!
For Easton, she says "Bye, See-See" and then puckers up for her kiss which he is always so sweet to give her. For "a-Kay", it's the same ritual.The boys have to pass her car seat on the way out so she's always assured her parting kiss which is just adorable! When she's reunited with one of her brothers, she runs to him and hollers his name before she puckers up again for her kiss whether it's in front of his class, school or just in the van. And people giggle at her spirited greetings every time. So fun!
When Ryan leaves for work in the morning she says, "Bye Daddy, a-snuggew me a' home?" ensuring he promises to snuggle her when he gets home. The boys can't compete with that cuteness and isn't that why 2 yr olds are so adorable?! They all have to get their snuggle/tickle time in with Dad each night or their day is incomplete. It usually buys me time finishing dinner rather uninterrupted so I can't complain any!
Our FHE attempts haven't been so hot recently but I had an idea last Sunday. I wanted the boys to listen to the prophet's talk about temples. Ryan was a little leery since it was 20 minutes long, but I had a plan. I gave everyone a blank note card and said they had to tally each time President Monson said the word "temple." I promised them an M&M for each one. Well I didn't quite calculate that right, but Ryan's chocolate chip cookies for FHE treat came to the rescue. If you do this one, be prepared to shell out over 60 whatevers for each mention of the word temples! The boys sat in rapt attention for the entire talk, anxiously making their tallies. It was fun to watch them flinch with each mention of temples and they even captured some of the message as we discussed it briefly afterwards.
I'm so grateful for General Conference and modern technology that allows to me to catch what I missed and review on demand - so many inspired messages to help me become a better me! I loved so many of the talks, but I think my favorites are Elder Holland's about what Conference is all about and then theme of Being and Doing as the Savior would for others.
Elder Robbins' "What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be"
Elder Uchtdorf 's "Waiting on the Road to Damascus"
Bishop Burton's "The Sanctifying Work of Welfare"
Elder Eyring's "Opportunities to Do Good" and many more.
I know the days I forget myself and work to serve my family and others in love are days I am happiest. And on that note I go to clean bathrooms! yeah.
