Our little girl is growing and changing

Although Cora won't be two years old until August, her mindset is now that of a two-year-old; it's as if some internal switch was turned on:  She has discovered that she has opinions that don't always mesh with the opinions of people who are in charge of her.  She has learned how to express those opinions in no uncertain terms.  Yes, our sweet little perfect baby now throws tantrums.  If she is doing something that could harm her, sometimes just saying "no" doesn't stop her.  She will test our limits.  If we pick her up to remove her from harm, she stiffens up her body and yells at the top of her lungs.  

I ignore the tantrums and she soon stops.  Cliff makes fun of her, which doesn't always stop her tantrum, but Cliff is amused... so somebody is happy, at least.  

The potty training is going well.  She won't poop in the potty, but if we take her to the bathroom every hour or so, she pees.  The potty plays music when that happens, and I give her a Teddy Graham as a reward.  I only put her in a diaper if we are going somewhere, or sometimes for her nap.  

I bought a toddler set of Legos for her this week, and she and I both enjoy playing with them.  She mostly just tears apart whatever creation I come up with, but she enjoys doing it.  She also loves to pick up the Legos when we're done playing.  

Actually, Cora likes to "help" do most anything.  She helps me load and unload the dryer and the dishwasher.  

She would rather run than walk.

She still loves her baby dolls.  Yesterday after her nap I suggested we go outside, and she insisted on taking a doll with us.

She's learning so many things, and I enjoy teaching her stuff.  She has "up" and "down" figured out.  She loves to hold her finger up when we sing "This Little Light of Mine", and she likes to blow on her little light when we get to the verse that says "Don't let Satan blow it out".  I've been working on teaching her "big" and "little".  I thought she had learned the color blue the other day, but that didn't stick.  By the next day she seemed to have forgotten it.  

She will bring a book to me to read many times a day, but often I don't get past the second page before she gets down and goes for a different book.

She is saying lots of words, sometimes even two words at a time, but for some reason she refuses to call a cow anything but a "moo".  Her mom got her to say cow one time, but she's never done it for me, it's always moo.  And if I tell her to say cow, not moo, she grins and says "moo" again.  Obviously she is messing with us.  

She's a rather picky eater, but she drinks lots of milk, and I always know her parents will see that she gets plenty of nutrition when they get her home if she doesn't eat enough here, so I don't worry about it.

I have always had a problem with wintertime depression, but on the days Cora is here, it might as well be spring.  She is our sunshine, the best medicine for almost anything that might ail us.