According to Nora...

I realize that I have not done many posts on the kiddos lately and what they are up to as little individuals.  Nora isn't changing in her looks or abilities so much anymore--resulting in monthly updates so I can remember all of her stats and skills--but she is learning so much all the time.  I know that I am forgetting all of the little things, so I need to be consistent with recording things she says, silly things she does, etc.  So, while I am taking the time to think thoughts about my not-so-little girl, I'll record them.  Hard to believe that she'll be three years old in only six short weeks!

According to Nora...

...bedtime is not complete without her Baby, Bear, Pillow, Sheep, Bunny, and two blankets (the white one and the pink one).  (How there is enough room in the bed for her AND all of those things is beyond me).

...her baby brother is mostly referred to as Buddy Ma-yan.  You have to get the double syllable of the Man in there for it to be accurate.  (We do live in East Tennessee, people, forgive us).  But, he also goes by "Wee-um,"  "Wee-um Piper,"  "Stinker Boy," and "Rugrat."

...suckers are a "very special treat."

...while riding in the car, Nora's two big things involve the music and the air conditioner.  She is now aware that Momma can control the flow of air to the back of the car.  She is CONSTANTLY asking me to adjust it...sometimes to blow faster, sometimes slower, sometimes off, only to be followed shortly thereafter by faster, slower, off, slower, off.  As usual, we love to listen to music in the car, but we've recently gotten on this kick where we listen to audio stories on CD.  LOVES THEM!  She basically has the story of the Gingerbread Man memorized.

...it's much more fun to say things repeatedly when trying to emphasize a really important point:  "Hey Mommy, Hey Mommy, Hey Mommy."


"Yes, Nora."


"Hey Mommy, can I, can I, can I, can I......."  (Forgetting what she wanted to ask in the first place).
"Hey Mommy, Hey Mommy......"

...sharing her dollhouse with her little brother is the worst possible situation she can be in.  I am trying to teach her and train her to share and play together with him.  I will say, however, that the moments when they play together unsolicited are increasing in number.  I just love to hear them laugh together and be silly together.  Liam absolutely adores her and loves playing by her side, but sharing is hard when you are almost three (and just over one), so there's lots of spats that go on between them.

...going "peep" in the potty is the norm now.  She wears panties all day, even for naps and at bedtime.  Right now she typically wakes up once a night to go pee, and then goes right back to bed.  Pooping in the potty is still a no-go, though.  She'll come to me and ask for a diaper/pull-up to take care of her business, which we are currently allowing her to do, and then she gets changed and puts panties back on.

...wearing a ponytail is our most common hairstyle.  It took this girl forever to be able to wear  a ponytail due to an overall LACK of hair, so now we wear one often, and I must say, it looks so stinking cute.

...she wakes up everyday and asks to wear a "spin-around dress."  If her nightgown is clean, she sleeps in that (as opposed to a pants/shirt ensemble or a footie pajama which I think she is altogether TOO big for.  So sad!), but shortly after waking up or eating breakfast, she is asking to put on her dress.  We have several pairs of shorts and capri pants, but they haven't gotten worn much this season so far because we rotate between the 4 dresses in her closet.  Such a girl!

...Capri-Suns are fabulous.

...she and Daddy have "relax time" together several times a week before going to bed.  Just as soon as we finish saying prayers and it's about time for Jonathan and I to make our way out of the room, she starts.  "Daddy," she says in her sweet, precious, little voice.  "Will you relax with me?"  9 out of 10 times, he can't say no.  They'll lay in her bed in the dark and talk about the letters and animals on her wall, talk about what they did that day, or what they will be doing the next day.  They laugh, they giggle.  Sometimes I have to go in there to see if Jonathan is ever going to come out ;)  I love to listen to them in there...so sweet.

...our iPhones are pretty much hers.  She knows how to use those things!  She can work the camera, turn it on, turn it off, find and play the games we have on there for her.  It's so weird that already our kids are tech-savvy.  I wonder what they'll be doing technology-wise when they are teenagers?

...she's all about peoples whole names.  First Names.  Last Names.  Families.  She likes to make the connections.  She introduces herself as Nora Kathryn Bradshaw.  She likes to talk about Mommy is a Bradshaw, Daddy is a Bradshaw, Liam is a Bradshaw, Nora is a Bradshaw.  We are a family.  She wants to know all of her friends' last names.  Talk about who's in their families.  It's funny and fun to hear her make these connections and learn the structures of a family.  She knows that Momma is married to Daddy, and that Daddy is a husband and Momma is a wife.  She'll tell us often that she is not married and is not a wife.  So cute!

Ok, that is all I can think of right now. Everyday with this girl is an adventure, and she is growing too fast before our very eyes.  I love her so much, and I am so thankful for the gift that she is!