Over half way to THREE!

Some days I don't even know how to describe Norah. She's SO independent, has a short temper, and is very stubborn, which can make some days extremely frustrating for Mom (I'm usually not "Mommy" anymore, sad!). On the other hand, she is beyond helpful, very imaginative, loving, and FULL of energy and life. I know she's only 2 1/2, but she is very mature and developmentally (at least cognitively) well ahead of many children her age. When Norah has a bad day of tantrums, I often have to remind myself that she is acting her age, which is so uncharacteristic for her. Most of the time she acts well older than her age. Linguistically alone, I am blown away! She is truly a first born in every stereotypical sense of the word. I understand her so well, but our similar personalities make some things quite a challenge. She is a brilliant little girl, and I am so blessed to be her Mommy. I love you, Norah Jean Chase!

Here are some Norah facts at 2 1/2 years old:

• Norah enjoys helping me with everything she can. She loves to fold washcloths and diapers and gets a big thrill out of anything I let her do in the kitchen.
• She spends most of her day bossing around the other 2 year old I do daycare for, but I try to keep her from getting out of hand. She's such a little mother!
• She takes great care of her babies and has picnics for them and sets up their beds all over the toyroom. Most days we have to play with the lights off because they're sleeping. Well, duh! ;)
• Norah talks about our new baby very often, and already uses "that voice" (you know, the one adults do when they talk to babies) when she talks at my belly. According to Norah, the baby WILL be named Sleeping Beauty.
• Norah talks and chatters about anything and everything NON-stop! Sometimes the sheer volume of words coming at me is exhausting.
• Norah is a great story teller and remembers the littlest details from whatever event or activity or happening she is recalling at the moment. We are amazed at the things she brings up that happened months ago that we haven't mentioned since.
• Norah can't understand why Maggie wants to actually play with whatever scene she's set up with her little princess figurines or her table of food she's set out. She'd rather set it up just so and leave it all beautiful to look at.
• Norah is already outgrowing 3T clothing for height. Pants are especially bad. I'm gathering 4T and size 4 (in the GIRLS dept!) things for her for Fall. Thank goodness capris will work for Spring and shorts in Summer. Waistbands are still loose, of course. She's my skinny little jellybean.
• Norah LOVES church and frequently demands that Sam play church with her. She sings made up songs (and real ones too!) and practicing praying, etc. She does very well participating on Sundays. She sings hymns, prays, and sits and stands when she's supposed to for the most part.
• She's in a phase where she doesn't want to hug or kiss Daddy except at bedtime. She loves to respond, "No kisses for you!" or "We don't do that, Daddy."
• We have to be very careful what we say around the house. Norah repeats anything and everything. We don't use bad words, but Norah's got quite a few grownup phrases in her vocabulary like, "You're driving me crazy!" and accurately uses words like probably and actually. Grammatically, she's advanced as well and understands that the -ed ending means past tense, has comparatives and superlatives under her belt, and has never had difficulty with pronouns like some kids do well into school age. (I'm such a proud English geek!)
• Norah loves to color and write and trace, etc. She's going to be a great student in a few years... if her teacher can get her to be quiet long enough to teach her anything. She'll be the one who's bored in class and causes trouble, I just know it.

This was really fun to brag on Norah for a little bit. :-D All these wonderful things! I'm going to come back and read these on rough days. Remind me, won't you?