Ho ho ho

Kendall loves Santa, she's been talking about him for months! The time came to go sit on the big guys lap and she FROZE---we didn't even try to put her up there alone. As we were walking up the stairs her body took a death grip on mine and she started begging that we go together. Her big Christmas wish was for a candy cane and she was too scared to even ask (sadly this Santa gave us pancakes and not candy canes).  Despite her fears of Santa she had a great time doing all the "big kid" things like decorating a foam tree with stickers and getting a balloon animal. So once again I bring you our family Santa picture (last year).

GG and her Great Grandkids!

Mimi and her Grandkids!

Giving Thanks

This year we hosted both sides of our family for Thanksgiving (hadn't done the whole shebang in 5 or 6 years!) and we loved having all of our family together---not to mention Kendall was in Heaven having ALL of her cousins over! Each day leading up for thanksgiving she'd ask if it was time for her cousins to come. It was a quick trip for my folks, but so nice to have them with us for a couple days.
We are very thankful for our family.

The Williams side of the fam trying to get a christmas card picture---ugh! 

Rettele's

Ross's

2 goofballs

Enjoying the extra attention by Grandma

Keith's family

The big kid table

The little kid table

The actual kid table (notice all kid tables are on the wood floor for easy clean us---this was planned).

Just couldn't wait for us to cut the pie---she dug right in! This girl knows what she wants!

And of course there was a craft time!

Whose kid is this?

   

It's common for people to say, or ask parents,  who they think their child looks most like. We get it all the time! We think she's such a blend of both of us that it's difficult to say for certain. Although Kendall has more similar colorings to me, she has many facial expressions that are totally Keith. But who Kendall's like is so much more than how she looks. Lately  Keith and I have been noting certain traits we keep seeing in her that are "just like us". Which are nature and which are nurture?

Just like Keith: Kendall LOVES to sing and she's actually pretty good and can often carry a tune! She is a planner. She asks us each morning "where we going?" and before we leave her room at night she goes over the plan of what we'll be doing after we leave her "you gonna feed the cats, help Daddy, get the neighbor dogs to be quiet, do stretches, and go to bed?" She wants to know the plan for the day and will go over it with us throughout the day (especially if we deviate from the plan). That reminds me, Kendall has an incredible memory, much like her Daddy. Surely this will keep us accountable for better or for worse throughout the years! A few other little things are that she loves to eat cereal for any meal and drinks up all the milk, she generally prefers to sleep on her side, shouts out weird sounds, and enjoys extended trips to the bathroom!

Just like Meghan: Kendall LOVES to read just for fun and doesn't need a lot going on to be content. She can be slow and cautious and rarely jumps into something without testing it out first or checking in with Mama or Daddy. Sometimes this is purely how she procrastinates (another wonderful trait she inherited from me). Her best procrastination happens at bed or nap time "I need a drink of water," "I have to need a go potty again," "I have a question," "one more book please," "but but but but PLEEEAAASSSE!" Okay, sounds like she can be a bit overdramatic or emotional, too. Darn it, THESE are the greatest ways she is like her Mama! Kendall, like her Mama, can't stand hair in her face or anything touching her neck. On a positive note, she also has a serious sweet tooth (oh wait, is that positive?).

Mostly we think she is Kendall, a 2 year old with her own opinions and methods of doing things. We love how verbal (and vocal) she is and are constantly laughing at what she comes up with. Most recently she's been saying "seriously!" at the end of her sentences. And throwing in fun words and phrases like "wonderful," and "in the mean time."  We love each trait she has---simply put WE LOVE HER!

I don't want to forget this

I never want to forget the funny little things that Kendall has said at various ages.  So I've got little phrases and stories on sticky notes and old receipts all over the place and I finally collected some of the recent ones here on the blog so I can have them forever. I know there is so much more that I've already forgotten as she quickly learns the right way to say things. For example,  I kept meaning to get a video of her singing "You are My Sunshine" because she said "when skies are GREAT (instead of gray) " and "You neber know dear, how much a lob you." But now she sings it all just the right way. Of course it's still adorable in her squeaky toddler voice.   So, here are just a few.

These were from the Summer until now:

 "no touch it mommy" (when she wants to do things herself)

Kendall's favorite phrase lately is "I do it myself!" and today she would't let me help her put on her panties...she first put both legs in one hole "deez too tight, I try a new ones" and the next pair she puts on backward and had an intense wedgie, "deez too tight, I try a new ones." 3 pairs later and some sneaky help from mom she finally has them on comfortably!

"no worry mommy"

"I okay, that's okay"

"I proud a you"

"My bottom burped" (after she tooted)

"Swim soup" = swim suit

"Lawn moaner" = lawn mower

"I spilled" when she has a pee pee accident

"I have to need a go potty"

"I do it"

"Open meal" = oatmeal

"Just a sec"

"I like your baby" (as she cuddles my stomach)

And here are some pictures from the last month that also capture who Kendall is at 27 months old

playing doctor

collecting leaves

a budding artist

long hair (in the back)

Afternoons with Ella

dress-up

lover of sweets!

Big girl bed!!!

Practicing for Halloween

Always silly---even on the potty!

Rebecca & Jeremy's Day

Totally surprised to see Cora! 

2/3 of the Graves Girls---don't worry Jeremy, we're working on a few more friends to join you,  William and  Zoe for "round 2."

"he likes me mommy"

Halloween

3rd annual Johnson/Ross kids pic (1st, 2nd)

If she was at the door with the big kids she was happy to say "Trick-or-Treat" but when alone at a door she'd say "I need more candy please!"

For the 2nd year in a row we went to the Strate's neighborhood to trick-or-treat. This year although Kendall actually understood the whole concept she was not as fast as the older kids whose understanding is a little deeper  (the faster you go, the more candy you get)! 

New Job Title

Big Sister!!!

Job begins April 23rd, 2013

Before the snow came