Jane turned two this month, and I know I'd regret it if I didn't take a moment to pause and document a bit of her blossoming personality these days!
At two, Jane is...
INDEPENDENT. She likes to do things by herself ("I do it self!") and has strong opinions about what she wants-- and doesn't. She follows the big kids around and desperately wants to go to school. "Du-bai!" (good-bye) she says as she walks out the door.
TENDER-HEARTED. When her big (foster) sister had the flu last week, Jane quickly went to her room and came back with her own special blankie to give to Sister. "It's okay," Jane said, patting her back. Jane also has a soft heart toward animals and babies, and she is such a sweet big sister to baby Owen.
FASCINATED BY TINY THINGS. Jane looooves anything small... tiny buttons, tiny stickers, and tiny stuffed animals (tiny pandas in particular). "Awww, so tuute (cute)!" she'll say every time, making a tiny motion with her hands.
EVER-THE-DIVA. She picks out her own clothes each morning, and of course no outfit is complete without accessories! She changes shoes multiple times a day and never leaves the house without her purse, sunglasses, and usually at least one of her little "friends."
SILLY. She has a great sense of humor and makes us all laugh with her funny expressions. Her public personality takes on a much more serious tone, but at home she is a total goofball. :) She brings us so much joy!
AMAZINGLY DETERMINED. For at least six months, Jane screamed a solid 30 minutes every single night going down to bed. We tried everything we could think of (good cop, bad cop) and were completely at our wit's end. In the midst of our frustration with this stubborn child, my dad offered a different perspective. "I wonder where God might lead her someday that will require such determination!" I am reminded that often our greatest strengths are also our greatest weaknesses, and that channeled in the right direction, this strong-willed girl might be equipped to face some great challenges with courage and strength. (*She has since stopped screaming-- miraculously all it took was leaving her bedroom door open!-- and now shows her strong will in other areas which we are still working on...)
HOSPITABLE. She shares her bed with at least nine regular friends-- Maisy and Minnie, Max and Humphrey, Big Panda, Tiny Panda, Snowman, and most importantly, Bunny and Blankie. Each friend, at Jane's own initiative, takes a turn coming out for breakfast each morning, sitting on the table next to her (adult-sized) bowl of oatmeal.
SMART. Yet another way she takes after her father! :) I just gotta brag on this girl for a minute-- she can (kind of) count to 10, (mostly) sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and (50%) recite the alphabet. Her exploding vocabulary amazes me, and she seems to have a great curiosity for language. She'll often stop us at the dinner table and ask, "What talking to?" (What are you talking about?) or want to know the meaning of a new word/phrase. Yesterday at the grocery store, I told someone that they could go ahead since they had only a few items, and Jane looked up at me and asked, "Go ahead means?" And she still talks about the time she heard a man speaking another language on the phone. I wonder if someday she might learn another language herself!
OBSESSED WITH MICE. Well, two mice in particular-- Maisy and Minnie. I don't think she's ever seen a real mouse, in which case her opinion might change. But she did meet Minnie earlier this month and was completely smitten.
Oh Janie Bear, we can't imagine life without you in it! We're so thankful for these past two years and for all the joy you bring to our family. Happy 2nd birthday. We love you, sweet girl!!
