2 and a 1/2

A LOT has happened these last few months with Olivia. Here are the highlights that we don't want to forget:

• It was allergy season and I had sneezed and needed a tissue and before I even got up off the floor Olivia ran back from the bathroom holding out a tiny piece of tissue torn from the toilet paper roll and said, "Here, Mom" It was the smallest and sweetest gesture.
• Richard and I were talking about some immature sophomores in his class. I said, "Seriously, how old are you?" Olivia pipes up, "2!" and holds up her fingers.
• Olivia saw a picture of President Monson and pointed to him and said "Prophet Monson."
• She has been saying 5+ word sentences!
• She knows that letters go with names or words.
• She calls toothpaste "poo-paste" and goes around saying "I fart (I'm smart)" Who knew we had such a little potty mouth?
• She can write letters of the alphabet and draw smiley faces.
• She sings songs all the time. "Pockful Rosey Ashes Ashes Ashes...Fall fall down"
• Ready or not here I come is "Or not, I come"
• Olivia is polite almost to a fault. She says excuse me to people in the store and when she bumps into people she says 'sorry'. But she also says sorry when she bumps into things. "Sorry, wall." "Sorry shoes" (After jumping) and my favorite, "Oh sorry, Jesus." when she fell on a picture of him.
• After a hard day of potty training when I had little patience left, we were saying a prayer over lunch. She was praying and I was helping. But it turned into more of a debate than a prayer.

              O   --  Heavenly Father, thank you for this day.
              Me --  thank you for this food
              O   --  thank you for this food
              Me --  help me go potty
              O  --   help me go the park
              Me --  and go potty
              O   --  go park .   .   .   with Joanna and Brandon   .   .   .
        
          Needless to say, I wasn't frustrated anymore. I just had to keep from laughing!

• Speaking of potty training, it has changed the way she sees things. For example, Winnie the Pooh has interchangeably become Winnie the Pee, depending on the day.
• She can sit cross-legged now. One day I was sitting with her on the floor and she was just staring at my legs and I could see the wheels turning in her little noggin. And then she deliberately crossed her legs and wrapped them back under herself and looked up at me like she had just solved the biggest puzzle. It was such a sweet learning moment for me to be reminded that these little ones are literally learning everyday and I don't want to miss a thing!
• She can do a somersault all by herself.
• One night we had to throw our burgers back on the grill because they weren't completely cooked. We sat down again to eat and they were still pink. By the third time we had to put them back on I was really annoyed. I showed Richard my burger and said, "It's STILL pink!" Finally we were eating but we were talking about how crazy it was and then Livi in the same agitated tone I had had held up her hotdog and said, "Look, Dad. PINK!" 
• She just completed her first summer of swim lessons and did great! Thanks to Grandma and a neighbor girl who sat with Eloise, we were able to go to the Mom and Tot class for the two weeks and didn't miss a day. We had so much fun together, just the two of us!