These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on some of the stuff Grace does that brings a smile to my face each day. So in no particular order, here we go.

When Grace wakes up in the morning, she sings very softly to herself. It's just enough to wake us up but in a very sweet way--unlike a screeching alarm clock. It makes the 6am wake-up call a little easier to handle. When you actually go in to get her out of her crib, she run laps and jumps like she's on a trampoline. You put your arms out to get her and she smiles, shakes her head no, and plops to the mattress. This can go on for a while. Sometimes when you pick her up, she insists on grabbing a few friends for the trip to the changing table. Recently she insisted on holding two blankets, baby doll, and her giant bear while I attempted a diaper change. This was no small feat!

Grace is now so big she insists on using a fork at every meal. It's actually pretty painful to watch because she's not super handy with it just yet. She frequently gets nothing on the fork but puts it in her mouth anyway. If you try to help her she violently shakes her head no. This makes me smile, not because she's frustrated, but because she's headstrong and stubborn like her parents.

Grace's love for Digby knows no bounds. She now calls him "DiDi" and no one is more popular, more loved, or more fun than Captain Idiot. She grabs on to his torso for dear life and says "ahhhhhh" to give him love. She straddles him to try and ride him like a horse. She checks out his gums, ears, and paws and this makes her laugh like nobody's business. Thank you Digby for being the best toy we didn't buy for Grace.

At naptime we read a few books and sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider." When Grace is getting her diaper changed before this she actually sings very softly and roughly does the hand motions to the song. This is beautiful!

Grace is a big fan of dancing. When Sesame comes on, it's not unusual for her to run up to the TV and spin in a circle. I love watching this. Other times, she uses it as a diversion. The other day I caught her trying to sneak up the stairs. I gave her a strong "Grace Dorothy--what do you think you're doing?" What does she do? After being initially startled, she turns around and starts dancing for me. Tough to be mad. . . .

Getting Grace to bed is frequently the most difficult time of day. We're all very tired by 7pm and ready for bed ourselves. She doesn't go down easily which is not to say she cries a lot. She just loves to be rocked, and rocked, and rocked some more. If you ask her, are you ready for your crib? She'll shake her head no! Last night my husband said he asked her this question, she said no, and then drew his arms tight around her. As much as I want to rock a bit less at night, it won't last forever and I need to remind myself to appreciate it.

Lastly, the kid has a beautiful smile that lights up the world. I live for it. On the worst of days, it can change my mood in a second. It's so genuine and real, it makes you wonder how often we smile like that.