This will forever be know as Caroline’s Hat Period. She calls it her Easter Hat, even though her actual Easter Hat was a cheap purple plastic thing from the Target dollar section and this is a very nice classy well-made hat from a boutique in Mystic.

EASTER HAT.

This will also be known as the I Should Really Cut Her Bangs But I Can’t Bring Myself To Do It Because I Love Her Hair And Anyway She Doesn’t Want Me To period. And if nothing else, this girl knows what she wants. She wants SPARKLY SHOES. She wants to wear SOCKS. She wants a DRESS today and PANTS tomorrow. She wants YOGURT NOW NOW NOW. She wants to sit on me, pretty much all the time. She wants to swing and if she DOESN’T get to swing she wants to throw herself out of the stroller onto her head and then cry for two hours. She’s just SO VERY TWO.

When Caroline misses something or someone she says she’s “worry bout” them. She says “I worry bout Daddy, I worry bout Brutus, I worry bout you Mommy! You were away from me! I worry bout you!” I keep reassuring her she doesn’t have to worry about anything, but now I’M worried she’s going to be a natural worrier. Is she actually worrying? Or is it just an expression she picked up (probably from me)? She’s a baby, I don’t want her to actually worry about things for a long, long time.

Despite the…challenges of being two, Caroline is such an adorable, well-spoken child she is a delightful person to spend time with. Even when she’s running away from me in the mall she says “Hi! Bye! Scuse me!” to all the people she tries to plow over. That hat doesn’t hurt either – she’s like a tiny celebrity at this point, with people pointing and awwwwwww-ing at her in restaurants and stores. If you take her to the grocery store you will get no less than FIVE free pieces of cheese. I think the cuteness is to help make up for the absolutely bat-crap insane fits she throws.

She tried to go home with another family at gymnastics last week because they had a daughter and she says she NEEDS a sister. I tried to explain even if she had one, it would be a baby but she said babies aren’t as fun as sisters. Now you know.

Favorites include HAT, shoes, running, jumping, shouting, singing, Mickey Mouse, Veggie Tales, swinging, books, her brother, pets, Target, the aquarium, boats, messes, puddles, food, ice cream, the beach, throwing stuff, juice, iPads, building towers, horses, princess things, pictures of herself and flowers.

Dislikes include not getting her way, not swinging, the word “no”, getting yelled at and when anyone besides Mommy does stuff for her.

28 Month Milestones (OMG BabyCenter changed their milestone chart so it’s just a list! 28 is actually the same as 27, but from now on I’ll have to use Evan’s old milestone posts to see specific months)

Jumps with both feet – Yes, although she mostly does a funny half-skip
Opens doors – Yes, finally. Now nothing in the house is safe.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Understands descriptions (e.g., big, soft) – She describes most things as “Caroline’s!” but I’m sure she understands lots of adjectives too.
Draws a vertical line – She really, really, really likes drawing circles.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Starts to recognize ABCs – Ehhhhhhhhh. She’s pretty good at numbers?
Balances on one foot – She can even “pop” on one foot, if she says “Pop pop pop”.

Bonus 28 months video!

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I have a little person who lives in my house named Evan. He’s not a baby. He’s not a toddler. He’s not even very little. He’s a kid, and he’s kind of awesome. He picked out birthday cupcakes and helped bake and decorate them for his school friends today. He’s helping my dad set up the electric train set for his birthday on Saturday and being a very good listener when it comes to the teeny tiny screws and wheels and pieces. He also had a total meltdown at the aquarium yesterday because he was super tired and just wanted to go home and lie down for a little while. It was understandable, since that was hat I really wanted to do too. You’d think after four years I’d remember my kid was a little person more often, but I think I must have fallen into some sort of accelerated time warp since I’m pretty sure I actually gave birth yesterday.

Evan loves books and reading and going to the library to pick out MORE books. He loves trains and cars and trucks and diggers and every other boy-thing you can think of. Bugs! Dirt! Loud noises! He loves swimming and is really excited about going to the beach and the lake this summer. When we’re in the car he requests “rock and rolling music” most of the time, but his favorite CD is Beethoven’s Wig. Every time he does something funny or cute he yells “TAKE MY PICTURE MOMMY! CHEEEEESE!” He can work the iPad better than I can and always knows where my phone is, even if I lose it. Last week he finally earned his special reward (some sort of outer space blaster that shoot glow in the dark balls) for ditching his night time pull ups. As of today, he doesn’t use his much-loved sippy cups anymore because he is a big kid. He is so kind and generous and helpful and sensitive and I am so so lucky to be his mom.

I spent a large part of my week filling out paperwork and touring various preschool programs for next year.The only certainty at this point is he will probably be taking the bus. Which…whoa. My kid is almost old enough to ride a bus. Although he’s not quite old enough to answer these questions without looking around the room and choosing things he can actually see. Abstract concepts are hard when you’re only four.

All about Evan, Age Four

1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Pirate Ships
3. Who is your best friend? You! and Caroline. She always jumps and flies.
4. What is your favorite TV show? RescueBots!
5. What is your favorite food? Pizza!
6. What is your favorite drink? Milk.
7. What is your favorite game? I like watching TV. *Me: That’s not a game* I like Sneaky Snacky Squirel. THAT’S my favorite game.
8. What is your favorite snack? Watermelon.
9. What is your favorite animal? Brutus!
10. What is your favorite song? I sing my own song BUH BUH BUH BOP! Like that!
11. What is your favorite book? Mike Mulligan. It broke.
12. What is your favorite dessert? Cupcakes!
13. What is a big boy thing you can do now? I don’t get any more baby cups!
14. Where do you go to school? I go to school with my best friends!
15. Where is your favorite place to go? Staying home with you! The aquarium! The seaport! The yarn store!
16. What would you like to do for your birthday? A choo choo train birthday party!
17. What do you love about yourself? Being four!
18. What is Daddy’s job? Go to work a lot.
19. What do you like to sleep with? My milk cup and my blankies.
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be Evan.

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Caroline is a delightful child, although she’s also what most polite people would call “strong willed”. I mostly call her “kind of a nightmare when she doesn’t get her way” but rarely to her face. She can go from lovely and smiling and laughing to screaming her head off in a matter of seconds. It’s pretty impressive, actually. She will ask so politely for a cup of juice and in the time it takes me to say “Of course honey!” and walk to the fridge she’ll start crying and thrashing and yelling “NO JUICE NO JUICE NOOOOOO JUICE!!!!!” Because obviously I’m trying to poison her. Of course as soon as I put the juice away she goes back to needing a cup of juice RIGHT THIS SECOND or she’s going to die of thirst. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if her head spun fully around one of these days – I’ve got a young priest and an old priest on speed dial, just in case.

But hey, she’s 2 and a quarter. This is not unexpected. And truthfully, she’s easier to reason with than Evan was at this age, just because she’s so very verbal and understands so much. When she does something naughty she KNOWS it was naughty. Of course, sometimes she doesn’t care (ain’t nobody got time for that when you have a whole aisle of cereal to throw on the floor!) but she does sit nicely in time out without a fight. Actually, that might be because she doesn’t truly understand time outs, but we’re working on it.

Mostly she’s wonderful. Super cute, so very very smart, and up for almost anything. The fact that she doesn’t nap anymore is actually nice, since it means we can run errands in the afternoons instead of fighting over going to sleep. She’s going through a cuddly phase and isn’t very discriminating about who gets the cuddles – she’ll sit in anyone’s lap who holds still long enough. Caroline still don’t great at school and we’ve had exactly zero tears at drop off. I love it. She loves it. Best decision I’ve ever made.

Likes include snow, mud puddles, boots, splashing, books, funny faces, drawing, ponies, unicorns, Legos, singing, dancing, Bubble Guppies, Mickey Mouse, mermaids, sliding, climbing, gymnastics, eating, drinking Mommy’s water, talking, screaming, shouting, stomping, kitties, dogs, fish, pirates, money, cookies, and making any sort of mess at any time.

Dislikes include wearing coats, looking at the camera when I say “look at the camera!” and everything on the “likes” list depending on which way the wind is blowing.

27 Month Milestones (from BabyCenter, as usual)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Jumps with both feet – The better to stomp as LOUDLY AS POSSIBLE.
Opens doors – HA HA! Something she mostly can’t do! But only because she’s too short!

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Understands descriptions (e.g., big, soft) – Sparkly, pink, rainbow, look a pony! Yes.
Draws a vertical line – Beautifully, but only on my walls.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Starts to recognize ABCs – It’s hard to tell? She might just be a really good guesser and get lucky sometimes. But she will sing you the ABCs as long as you don’t mind the verse of Rock A Bye Baby in the middle.
Balances on one foot – She moved up to the off-the-ground balance beam all on her “own self” at gymnastics!

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The list of skills Caroline has mastered is pretty long, but the list of skills she THINKS she has mastered is hilarious. She’s like a walking internet meme. Eating yogurt? NAILED IT (as long as you don’t mind that she’s covered from head to waist in just as much yogurt as she got in her mouth). Dressing herself? NAILED IT (even though both her legs are in one leg-hole of her pants and her shirt is on backwards). Reading books? NAILED IT (all our books go like this: “One day…kitty, uh oh, look! The end.”) Torturing her brother? NAILED IT. For real. Every. damn. time.

Because of the snow plus more snow, this is only Caroline’s second week at school but so far she loves it. When I picked her up today she told me she loves her teachers and loves baby school and wants more. I’m thrilled she is happy there and thrilled I don’t have to even pretend to feel bad about enjoying my childless mornings twice a week. My hope is she has the opportunity to be a leader in her class, since at home she get bossed around when it comes to play time. I’m trying to make sure she gets to develop as her own little person (especially since the brother-copying at home as gotten OUT OF CONTROL in both good and terrible ways).

As well as Caroline tolerates winter (she is a true New England December Baby) I am so looking forward to the adventures we’re going to have when the weather warms up. Now that she’s big enough to walk/eat human food/drink from a regular cup/stay out all day without a nap we can go on longer and more interesting day trips. It’s like hanging out with an adorable little friend instead of dragging around a reluctant baby. She can still be a major handful (Confidential to the people at Target the other night: SO SORRY. AGAIN. SORRY.) and is by no means an angel but she can be reasoned with 75% of the time. And by reasoned with I mean bribed, mostly. Some weeks are better than others but there are whole entire days where I don’t have to scold or put her in time out because she listened to my requests and followed through. I suspect this is just an up-phase and we’ll be back in a down-phase of listening soon – but at least in a few weeks we won’t be trapped in the house anymore.

I think she’s finally gone through a growth spurt, since her 18 month clothes are officially too small. We’re moving up to all 24 month stuff but even some of her 2T clothes fit. She’s still squeezing her feet into her size 5 sneakers, but I think they’re probably too small. Don’t tell her that though, because girl NEEDS her ” pink ‘parkly shoes!!”

Likes include apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, peanut butter, noodles, drinking from a straw, The Backyardigans (she knows all their names), singing, dancing, shouting, Brutus, Blushes, her brother (mostly), Daddy, splashing, reading, puzzles, swimming, princess skirts, eating snow, rock’n'rolly music, school, Monsters Inc, cuddles and pretending to be a kitty cat named Ninja who meows instead of talks.

Dislikes include nightmares, cleaning up, wearing hair clippies, being hungry and not getting her way.

26 Month Milestones (from BabyCenter, as usual)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Stacks six blocks – Piece of cake.
Walks with smooth heel-to-toe motion – She’s too busy skipping, running and dancing to do much walking.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Uses pronouns (e.g., I, me, you) – Me me me me me me mine me mine allll day.
Washes and dries own hands – Like a champ.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Speaks clearly most of the time – Other parents can understand her. Childless grown ups less. Her teachers understand more than I do.
Draws a vertical line – She’s must more interested in coloring in the entire page blue (ALWAYS BLUE) than drawing a stupid old line.

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Caroline is a big girl now, the end.

This morning I opened the gate and sent her downstairs herself. When I came down a few minutes later she gotten two clementines off the counter and peeled them – one for her, one for her brother.

Today at the play place, she taught all the other kids how to slide down the slide head first.

She also conned one of the moms into giving her all the snacks the mom brought for herself. I told the nice lady she didn’t have to share, Caroline is very well fed, but she insisted she didn’t mind because “She’s so cute!”

Yesterday at bedtime I explained to her my back hurt so I couldn’t sit on her bed while she fell asleep but I’d be happy to sit in her chair instead. She said “OK Mommy. Feel better now.”

Instead of crying when she fell off the couch and on her head, she jumped up and said “TA-DA!”

She is spunky, funny, full of life, full of attitude and charms almost everyone she meets. She is an amazing two year old (and is going to be a TERRIFYING 12 year old).

Likes include animals, books, apples, oranges, running, jumping, making up songs, dancing, Minnie Mouse, Monsters Inc, snow, playgrounds, friends, Daddy, bath time, Tinker Bell, cuddles, princess skirts, wearing pull-ups instead of diapers, stacking things, exercise, noodles, strawberries,  and her brother.

Dislikes include time outs, wearing clothes all day, hair clips and when Evan doesn’t want to play with her.

25 Month Milestones (from BabyCenter, as usual)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Stacks six blocks – Caroline and Evan used teamwork to stack 12 stall tubs of play-doh, so I’ll give her half credit for that.
Walks with smooth heel-to-toe motion – Walks, runs, jumps, dances, all like a big kid.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Uses pronouns (e.g., I, me, you) – All the pronouns are belong to Caroline.
Washes and dries own hands – Her favorite part of potty training (and the only part she’s very good at).

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Speaks clearly most of the time – I can understand her about 90% of the time, other people are probably at about 75%.
Draws a vertical line – Sort of. But she likes drawing circles the best while shouting “CIRCLE CIRCLE CIRCLE”.

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