Dear Magpie,

I was told this week by another Mom at your dance class that you have "an enormous vocabulary"..I had to chuckle, but quickly thanked her. By the large, roundness of her eyes I'm not sure if she meant it as a compliment or not. She was telling the truth though...enormous might just be the right word.
You are almost 2 1/2...you aren't 3, you aren't 5, and you aren't 15 (thank goodness)-however you talk like all of those above..and then some. You carry on conversations, you quote movies, you tell stories, you fib, you draw conclusions, you make snide comments (that's my girl!).
In that same realm you fake cry like.a.pro. You even told me the other day "watch how I do this with my lips" as you quivered them...then later that night used the SAME move on your Dad.
I am Mama and he is Dada and where some people might think that we should be Mommy and Daddy, or Mom and Dad by now...I like our titles just fine. I'll probably be sad when they change.

We started you in dance class this week..and you seem to like it ok. I'm working with you on listening to your teacher, but I haven't even mastered getting you to listen to me, so she might be out of luck. I like watching you interact with the other little kids, since this is your first 'class' environment. The other kids seem to be a bit shyer than you are, but you made fast friends with one little girl who is a blondey like you!

Where this late summer weather has my nose stopped up like cement and dreading the outdoors you are still LOVING it! You thrive on being outdoors and running around in the sunshine with your abundance of energy.

You are sneaky, mischievious, and a little mean at times...as evidenced by Toto's packing tape collar. You repeatedly get into the fridge, pantries, and dvd cabinet. You make terrible messes. You play in the water when I tell you not to (bathroom sink, dog bowl, etc). You have started to sass and throw pretty annoying tantrums. I guess that is the joy of your age.

But your curiousity and sweet face usually get you out of trouble. Also...you'll do about anything to avoid getting a 'smack bottom'. That helps.

You investigate everything....which leads to destruction (labels, boxes, anything really). But you are helpful and will clean up after yourself (to an extent) when you are asked/told to.

Despite all the madness that makes up these "terrible twos"...you are my only girl. My best girl. My baby girl. My sweet little sunshine. My moon and my stars.

My saving grace...

my Madelyn Grace.

Love you.