Mattie: Two Going on Five...or Ten

This little girl amazes me every day at least once. Not in a skill level sort of way, but because she is just so aware of what is going on around her! I often have to remind myself that she really is not quite two-and-a-half yet! Here are a few things lately...

She's swallowing pills with only water now, just because she wanted to do it "like Jacob." Actually, one day last week I set her acidophilus pill down and she had swallowed it dry before I got her a cup!

She had an accident the other night at 4:30 AM. By the time I noticed her footsteps and got up, I peeked in to her room and she was back in bed. She'd taken off her wet jammies, thrown them out on the floor outside her gate, gotten dry clothes and gotten herself back in bed! (And terrible mother that I am, I left her there! I could see she had laid down on her pillow, which I knew was dry. And with her horrible sleep habits, I knew if I got up with her she'd be up for the day and it was waaaay too early for that!)

She did not come the other day when I called her. She was on my bed, so I reached for her leg to pull her near me, and she must have known what was coming. She rolled her eyes and said, "Not again."

She's asking questions about what things mean. (God gave me another chronic questioner???) Last week, "Mama, what does puffer-belly mean?" And later that day, "Mama, what's a patriot?" And she won't let me off the hook until I answer.

Sunday when we were having breakfast before church she said, "Mama, I like your hair." (Good to know someone around here cares about my hair!)

Today we were in the library and I told her we were not going to get a particular movie she was wanting. Her response? "Whatever."

She has very strong opinions about her clothes. She loves shoes too. Last week she said, "I want the blue shirt with the pretty flower on it. It's just so pretty!"

Saturday night she gave us a hard time going to bed. Sunday morning in the bathtub she said, "I'm sorry for being ugly Mama." I said, "When were you ugly?" She said, "Last night bedtime. Not quietly. Will you forgive me?" (Oh, blessed little girl, of course I will forgive you!)

Her prayers... "Thank you, God: food! Thank you, God: sunshine! Thank you, God: Mama, Daddy, and Jacob! Thank you, God: dying on cross! Thank you, God: Daddy workin' hard! Amen!"

Jacob loves to ask her to help find things. He could almost have his shoes on his feet and not be able to locate them. She, on the other hand, would remember where they got left last week under a pile behind a closed door and be able to find them with no trouble. Now I send them together to find things...

My personal favorite: Two weeks ago after a long day at Dollywood Jacob was having a tough time being cheerful. When we got in the car Mattie grabbed the children's Bible and lectured Jacob. She pointed to words in the Bible and said, "Jacob! Jesus help attitude!" then she'd point to Jacob. "Jesus help attitude, Jacob!" Yeah, you can imagine how cheerful he was at that point.

She is just a mess! I know she looks like her face hadn't been washed for a week, but it only takes her about 5 minutes to look like this!
(And yes, I have washed that nasty door since then!)