Eliza turns two

When Eliza Jane was just a few weeks old, or maybe even days old, like in the picture below, I remember being struck by her distinct personality.  It was inevitable that we would compare her, our second child, to our first, but she has certainly done her best to set herself apart.  The picture below often comes to mind when I consider how unique she is.  It's not a remarkable picture at all, but something struck me about her dark eyes and distinct features when I took it and for me it is still a peek into her soul.  

our mysterious new child in her first week life 

What I noticed back then has been confirmed and clarified as she has grown.  Our little two-year-old still has a mind of her own, but now that she can talk, we are all much happier.  She has clear ideas about what she wants and is persistent in her pursuit of of her goals. "Re-direct" has not been as helpful or effective a parenting dictum for our second time through toddler-hood.  I've found that making rules and expectations very clear and leaving a bit of room for negotiation seems to work for us.  A few months ago I told her it was time to go downstairs, but she was not done playing with blocks and said, "No, I'm buildin' my towah, mama."  I was so delighted she had used a complete sentence, I let her finish her tower and when I said it was time to go, she responded with her typical refrain, "Aw-right, mama."     

looking more like her daddy all the time 

Eliza's sense of humor has blossomed recently too.  Eliza has picked up knock-knock jokes from her brother and has made up her own about a bee (knock-knock, who's there, a bee, a bee who?, a bee MAMA!).  I was having a little conversation with her the other day about her class at school, and she was naming the kids in her class.  I would sometimes prompt her by asking, "Is there a Mallory in your class?" and she would say yes.  Then I asked, knowing that there was no kid with this name in her class, "Is there a BOB in your class?"  Eliza started this big belly laugh like I had never heard from her before.  "Bob in my class! Make me laugh, mama!"  We both had a good laugh.  

As she rides her horse around,
Eliza says, inexplicably, "glinka, glinka!" 

Liza's eagerness to learn and have fun, her keen social instincts, delight in music, and love for her brother have all made this girl such a joy to nurture this year.  When asked what he likes about Eliza Jane, Benjamin says, "she plays with me and she speaks really loud." Hmmm.  

ritual hot chocolate with granddad 

We had her birthday celebration in Sulphur Springs this year with JB's family, complete with helium balloons and purple cupcakes, both of which were requested consistently for the two weeks leading up to her birthday.  Eliza is becoming quite the little girl--we're thankful for her life every day!

good-bye until next time!  

with her new and beloved Madeline tea set 

a summer trip to homestead heritage for ice cream