Sally Jean 21 months

This is you at our preschool morning breakfasts we like to have at Chick Fil A. 

Oh Sally Jean! Where does the time go?  You are getting so big and independent! 

We went to Discovery Place Kids with you and your sister.  You guys had a great time.  Of course, you had a mind of your own and wanted to do what you wanted to do, but with you, that seems to be what is expected.  Your favorite thing was the big playground.  You spent a good hour up there.  You would climb up the stairs, go through all the tunnels, climb through the glass tunnel and wave at us and then go down the slide on your belly over and over again.  You did lose a headband up there. 

 You also "helped" Daddy carve the pumpkins.  I was actually taken by surprise with this.  You are one that likes to get your hands messy, but you didn't want a thing to do with this.  It could have been that we really wanted you to pull out the pulp and you were not going to have any of that since it was not something you came up with, but who knows, really?

 You like to eat at your little table a lot.  You will sit in the chair and say "sqwooch" so I will come and scoot you up closer to it.  You also can be pretty sneaky at this table and feed Winston when I am not looking.  He likes it when you sit there, too, because he has easy access to your plate when you are not looking and then he gets  in big trouble. 

 You were a strawberry for Halloween.  I couldn't decide if I wanted you to be an owl or the strawberry, but since you walk around the house with the strawberry hat on much of the time, I thought it was the better choice.  I didn't go walking the neighborhood with you to trick or treat because I was handing out candy with my mom, but from what I understand, you were your typical moody self.  I think this is the only smile we got out of you that evening. 

I just love your sweet little profile!

 And your cute little face. 

 You love to play destroy the playroom.  You pull absolutely everything out and throw it all around.  It is quite a mess. 

 I love putting you in the footy pajamas, even though you slide around on the floor a lot. 

 You tried to make a name turkey when your sister was making one.  You pretty much wanted to do things your way and Ava and I ended up matching the feathers to the right letter for your name.  You are going to be fun to educate!

 When you hear music come on now, you grab Ava's  hand and pull her into the family room to do some dancing.  It is pretty cute.  You two get along (most of the time) and it is cute to watch you play together.  Thankfully, Ava is not competitive with you and is very encouraging which is something your daddy and I try to encourage between you both.  I just hope you are both able to accept Evie into your little circle. 

 

You are obsessed with taking your diapers off.  You have sat on the potty and gone once in the potty.  You were so proud you wanted us all to dance and sing Zaccheus and Heaven.  You came out of the bathroom saying, "I did it!"  But you haven't done it since.   I think you may have a little lisp.  It is pretty cute..right now.  If you truly do, something will probably need to be done about it at some point not too far off in the future.  You love Christmas movies and surprisingly, you have not been as dangerous with the Christmas decorations as I thought you would be.  You LOVE a bear Mimi got Ava a couple years ago that sings "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and you will carry it around the house.  As soon as it stops singing, you bring it to me to play again because you have not been able to find the button on its foot, no matter how many times I have shown you.  You talk, talk, talk.  I don't understand everything you are saying, but there are many words you say that are recognizable.  You are super animated in most everything you do.  The other night, we watched you drag your face along the floor and cry for 30 minutes because I would not let you have my phone.  Those times are exhausting for all present.  You are accident prone, mostly because you flail yourself all over the place when you are mad.  Yesterday, you were mad because I didn't want you in the bathroom when I couldn't see you.  I don't want you playing with the toilet water or the dog's food and water so I was trying to pick you up to remove you.  You threw yourself down right on top of Winston's water bowl and water was all over you and the floor. You also saw your reflection in our dishwasher and you were holding a toy and I guess you thought the reflection was someone else trying to take your toy and you got so mad at it and looked at it angrily and said, "MINE!"  I had to laugh at that one you goofball!   Sometimes Sally.  It is a good thing you are so stinking cute and funny.  

Anyway, that is your 21 month in a nutshell.  As always, I know I am forgetting many a thing.  But I have high hopes for you.  It is a scary world you are growing up in.  I pray that you never let fearfulness (like I often do) steal your determination and your ability to follow God.  Look to the Mountain Mover, not the Mountain, my feisty one!