I might need a helmet

As the last few weeks have passed in an ever increasing whirlwind, I am realizing, I might just need a helmet to survive this kid! At 22.5 months old, all I can think is "Oh my goodness, she's not even 2 yet!"

Oh Matine. Where to start on "the you-ness of YOU" these days! I like lists.  I like pictures. I will start there.

• Your increasing vocabulary now includes many "commands" and they are mainly directed at me. "Sit down," "play with this," "up here, "hold you (me)," "no, back!"
• I got our first "I don't like" at dinner the other night. 
• You are finally "interested" in the potty now, but won't actually use it for it's designed purposes. So far it is serving as: a chair to read books, a place to sit and talk with me and get undivided attention, a place to play with your "my little ponies," a clever stool to play in the sink, a platform for jumping, and very entertaining contraption for flushing the toilet paper that you use to "pretend wipe your butt." Progress.... I guess? 
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• You are not only singing songs constantly now, but they are Matine Originals. You will take the most mundane words or conversations and put them to a tune. My favorite so far has been the one you made up after I scolded you for kicking me while I changed your diaper. It went something like "no kickin, no kickin mama, no diapers, kickin! NO NO"
• You are very comfortable getting yourself dressed and out the door ... on your own. This means that pj's or naked, you get your boots on by yourself, open the door and go outside. You usually bring something back in with you ... snow, a bucket, a dog toy... The front door now remains LOCKED ... for fear that you might stroll across the street and ask the neighbors for a cup of sugar.
• We took the paci away about 2.5 weeks ago. I cut the tip off of it and handed it to you when you asked for it. You looked at it with serious disgust and gave me a horrified look. You then said, "OH NO!!!!!!". I agreed and shrugged, stating that it "broke." You have hardly asked for it since. Why didn't I do that 6 months ago?
• Toast is still your favorite food group. Meat balls are a close second.
• You are into fruit again, thank goodness but it must be accompanied with toast. You get your vegetables from pizza, some spinach ravioli that you tolerate, sweet potatoes in the sweet potato pancakes, and an occasional pasta dish with hidden veggies in the sauce. Oh, and ketchup of course.
• You still dance endlessly to the Waltz and Lindler on The Sound of Music and love to act out every move of the "So Long Farewell" scene on the stairs. You even lay down on the floor (on que) like Gretel at the end of the song.
• You have an amazingly good ear / voice. You are always on key and can hit high and low notes ... It sounds quite good really. You did NOT get that from your father or me.
• You LOVE all your friends. You talk about them constantly and anytime we get in the car you ask if we are going to one of their houses. It is usually, "Logan's house?" and asked oh so sweetly in a totally cute question voice.
• We had the Cox Family over for dinner a few weeks ago and you glammed on to the handsome 6 and 8 year old boys and wouldn't stop hugging them. When they left, you screamed at the door as they drove away, "MORE KISSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
• Your father might not let you out of the house - ever - after that one.
• You are loving the entire ski experience. You love the gear, the skiing, the "scene" and the hot chocolate. You are a natural.
• Your new favorite activity is "driving." We let you play around in the car (with keys out and it turned off of course). You wave, mess with every button and even mimic me (perfectly) by pulling down the vanity mirror and pretending to wipe under your eyes. I never realized that I do the EXACT same thing each time I look in the mirror until you started mocking me.
• You are in a "big girl" bed now. Well, it's your crib mattress on the floor - more like a "mat," but you love it. You crawl into it all by yourself, ask for "night night" and your "too-bies" (lullabies) and you are down by 7 and up around 6. At 6 you open your door and come quietly to our bed and snuggle and doze back off again for about an hour - the best hour of my day. When you are done sleeping and you want us up you say "all done" every single time and start crawling over us and repeating "all done" until we are up. Who needs an alarm clock or parrot - you are both!
• You are in a bit of a needy phase in terms of being held. You have days or parts of the day when you are attached to my leg or standing on my feet, whining, until I pick you up. You repeat "momma, hold you" until I do it.
• You still love to: color, chase the dogs around, play with your legos, stuffed animals, guitar, My Little Ponies, dress up in beads and silly hats, explore the yard, go for walks, pretend to type on a computer, play with flashcards, watch videos of yourself, watch Charlotte's Web, and generally roam about the house singing, or talking to yourself or bossing the dogs.
• You LOVE to help me with whatever I am doing - mopping, organizing, vacuuming, folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher... You mimic it very well and make house chores MUCH more fun.
• You are SO sweet. You LOVE to give kisses, say "I Love you" all the time - prompted or not, you always ask where daddy is if he is gone or at work. You keep close tabs on the dogs and their needs and wants, you share very well for the most part, and love, love, love other babies.
• You love to run, but look so ridiculous when you do. You are so enthusiastic about EVERYTHING you do. It's always exciting, funny and the greatest thing you have ever done.
• You love to "pretend surprise." You make up things that are going on like "a bunny in the yard" so you can open your eyes big, open your mouth and yell excitedly. You pretend there are bunnies, deer, dogs, and horses in the yard - all the time!
• I keep a step stool at the window so you can look out yourself.
• We have a pretend bunny in the yard and you like to feed it carrots and always pretend like you see it in the bushes.
• You are my heart little gal. You win me over every single day and your dad and I wish that it were morning as soon as we lay you down to sleep. We hate having to wait 8 hours until you make us laugh again.