Three Years With Grace

Our tiny-bodied and large-minded little gal is three today.  As a second child, she has easily learned how to navigate this family so that everyone knows her opinions and thoughts at all times.  We never have doubts about what Grace wants and loves.  Grace is fiercely confident and independent; if she wants to do something, she will put her whole heart into it.  And if she doesn't have interest, her will is strong and she will likely hold her ground.

These qualities will make her a strong leader and a fantastic adult one day.

Grace is spunky and silly and sassy and knows how to turn on the sweet-charm.  

We love our little gal so much and can't believe she is three (even though she consistently corrects me that she is "five", no "ten!")

Third birthday photo with Miss Kitty:

Grace at 2.5 years:

Grace at 2 years:

DR STATS: 

Height: 34.25 inches; 3.6 percentile

Weight: 28 lbs, 6 ounces; 25th percentile

LIKES:

Singing: Grace always has a little tune in her head, which could either be a song she knows or a song she is making up on the spot.  Grace's life has a soundtrack attached to every move.

Chocolate chips and the pantry: I am forever catching Grace in the pantry trying to sneak a snack or her latest interest, chocolate chips.  She is industrious with a step stool and will cart the stool clear across the house for her pantry goals.  Ironically, she doesn't eat a ton overall and really prefers food in a conceptual way rather than in its literal sense.

Palmer: The world is Grace's playground and her brother is her main source of entertainment.  Sweet Palmer is almost always willing to engage in Grace's ideas (err demands) and she doesn't mind bossing him around.  These two are becoming very sweet playmates in their older years and dabbling with imaginative playtime.  When they aren't arguing, they make for very fun companions.  I regularly remind both of them that they are each other's best friend and always need to take care of each other.

Grace is a scrappy second child and usually thinks she is old enough to do whatever Palmer is doing (and if you ask her, she probably thinks she can do it better.)

Scooters: In the last month, Grace has grown leaps and bounds on her scooter ability.  She insists on ditching the stroller (my preference) for her own wheels on walks to pick up Palmer from school. Sometimes she gets her wish and sometimes we are in too much of a rush for her own transportation.  

Learning: Grace is an eager student and loves to be quizzed on letters and shapes and colors.  She has a pretty good attention span for books and loves to hear stories at night.  She also likes all of her learning apps (and non-learning apps) on the iPad.

Toilet Paper: I really wish Grace's affinity for stuffing entire rolls of toilet paper down the toiler and sink would stop soon.  That is all on that topic.

Strollers and babies:  Along the same lines as a preference for scooters on long walks, Grace also likes to push her babies in strollers-- another pastime that is *super* quick when we are trying to not be late to pick up Palmer from school.  Along for the ride, Grace loves to entertain baby Stella and baby Molly Grace (named after her friend's infant sister).  At nighttime, Grace can't sleep without the cleverly named sidekicks, "Poodle",  "Giraffe", and "Other Giraffe".

Grace, you take the world by storm in every possible way.  Life would be much slower without you around and we are proud and love to be your parents.  Happy birthday, sweet girl.

-Bethany