Zofia's Second Year

Zofia,
Another year has passed and we can't believe that you are already two years old! In this year you have gone from being a baby-going-on-toddler, to a toddler-going-on-little girl. Each day you delight and amaze us with the things you say, the things you remember, the things you understand. This year has seen some changes for you; a new house, new school, new little sister, but you seem to be taking it all in stride.
You love our house and yard and enjoy going outside every day to pick flowers, "climb" trees and swim in the pool. You love to play in your room with your many toys, love to color at (and on) your table in the kitchen or at (and on) the big kitchen table. Each day there comes a point when you ask to "go on the bed", meaning Mommy and Daddy's bed to roll around, jump and play monster with Daddy. You still enjoy cuddling up with Froggy to watch TV (Backyardigans, Sesame Street or Jack's Big Music Show) but you lose interest within five minutes and spend the rest of the show catching bits of it here and there while you play with your kitchen or the coasters on the coffee table or your dolls or your legos. You love to use your step-stool to reach the bathroom sink to wash your hands and brush your teeth and sometimes we hear you calling us to come turn on the bathroom light so you can wash your hands all by yourself. You have also developed your own sense of style and each morning you tell me how many ponytails and/or clippies to put in your hair, or that today it's a headband day. We are working on potty-training, and while you love sitting on the potty to read, so far you have steadfastly refused to actually make use of the potty for its intended purpose. I'm hoping that you catch on by the beginning of the school year in September.
You love going to school and get very excited at the mention of school day. Thankfully, you have not noticed that it's been almost a month since the last day of school. As far as you are concerned, you went to school yesterday and are going again tomorrow. In your current view of time, everything in the past happened "yesterday" regardless of whether it was last week or five minutes ago; and everything in the future will happen either "after nap time" or "tomorrow".
You love your little sister and want to be wherever she is. If I go to the bedroom to change her diaper, you always say, "I wanna come too!". You give Maggie lots of hugs and kisses, which always makes her smile or laugh, even when it makes me fear that you are cutting off the circulation to her brain or squishing her face in. You talk to her all the time and give me running commentary on what she is doing in her carseat while we drive. You are always concerned with her well being and any time she cries you tell me, "Maggie's hungry Mommy!" Recently you were playing on your couch while I was sitting on it with Maggie in my lap and you accidentaly hit her in the head with a piece of cardboard. You said, "I'm sorry I bumpled your head Maggie" and I almost cried.
You do have moments when we remember that you have indeed entered the "terrible twos", when you get so frustrated with us or with a situation that you just lose your cool and your vocabulary and scream your little head off. Usually this happens only when you are tired, hungry or under the weather. Even then we can usually get you to calm down and communicate or move on with life fairly quickly. Your Daddy came up with an ingeneous way to refocus your attention by asking you, "Is it crying time?" Invariably the answer is no, and you tell us that it is puzzle time, or swimming time or peanut butter and jelly time. You have even started telling Baby Maggie and sometimes Mommy or Daddy that it is not crying time.
You are a sweet, affectionate, loving child and freely give kisses and cuddles to those you know and love. You are amazingly intelligent and have a phenomenal memory. You are happy and funny and love to sing and dance. You bring us so much joy every day and we can't wait to see what new development each day brings.
We love you Zofia. Happy Birthday