This is what 2.5 looks like

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This girl. I love her.  

And she loves the beach. "I yuv the beach so much!"  The beach turns her into an animal...the first sight of sand meeting sea, she is off, running and rolling.  She's in love.  She's a mess. I get it though, the beach makes me feel the same way.

Around her two and half birthday, we took a trip to San Diego to visit my sister.  Grace was in heaven: beaches, parks, aunties, Mimi and FRO YO.  What more could a girl want?  She was a dream on the plane, so well behaved.  My favorite part was when she looked out the window and said "I can see EVERYTHING!"  So sweet.

Speaking of sweet, this kid is 100% sweet.  Except when she's tired or hungry, then hang on to your *@&$#^* hat, because you will see all fifty shades of what it means to be two.  Luckily, she just needs a minute and then returns to her normal, sweet self.  Which I get, because sometimes I just need a minute too.  Except every time I take a minute it looks like a tornado rolled through my living room and there's a mysterious sticky spot on the carpeting and everyone looks at me with shrugged shoulders and raised eyebrows.  So I've learned to go without my minute.  Easier on everyone.

(FYI -This is one of those posts that's entirely self-serving, just to remind Eric and I what 2.5 looks like on our Gracie girl.) 

Enjoying the San Diego Zoo

So what else does our two and a half year old do?  More like, what doesn't she do?  You name it, she'll do it.  All by herself.  "No, let I do it," is the phrase she says the most in a day (we may have to work on pronouns :) A few favorite things to do by herself include: getting dressed, going to the bathroom (that one's fun), pouring any sort of liquid she can get her mitts on, walking Georgia, getting into her carseat, using tape, glue and scissors (have you ever seen a three foot piece of scotch tape?  I have), and the list goes on and on.  Today she insisted on brushing her own teeth, taking herself potty, and putting on her own clothes.  She came out of her bedroom with her undies on backwards and inside out, just happy as a clam that she did it herself. This independence has been wonderful because it's eased the guilt and worry I felt about making her a big sister.  I can't baby her as much anymore, but that's okay, because she doesn't want to be babied anymore.  Except at nap time, bed time, and usually around 4 or 5 am.  (Grace, it won't be long and your baby sister will be out-sleeping you. What's the deal.)  Speaking of being a big sister, she's great at it.  She loves to hold her baby, showering her with kisses and toys, and an occasional tap to her head juuuust hard enough to remind everyone Grace still runs the show, thank you very much. 

The other day my aunt said "she has an such a great sense of humor!"
I hadn't thought of that before, but she really does!

The thing I love most about this age is watching her craft her own identity, developing her own thoughts and opinions.  She plays independently from time to time and I love to watch her act out scenarios she has encountered in the world.  For example, I always tell her, "Stop growing so fast! Can't you just stay little? Slow down lady! Please?" and she grins at me and says, "No! I'm big!  Touch my legs!", and that's my cue to remark how tall and big she's getting, while she looks pleased as punch. Then, the other day she had a Mom Elsa and a baby Elsa and said, "Oh honey I love you, you're getting so big!  Stay little honey!" And I just marveled.  Marveled over her little brain, like a sponge, taking it all in.  Recently she floored me when I asked her how to spell her name and she said G-R-A-C-E. Then I wrote the words Grace, Mom, Eleanor and Dad on a chalkboard and asked her what each word said.  She got Grace and Mom, but Eleanor and Dad were pink and pink.  :)  She enjoys learning, and that makes me so happy.  She's getting pretty clever too, when she wants a treat or to go somewhere specific, she'll stop, look me in the eye, making sure she has my undivided attention and says, "Mom, I have a special idea! Let's have a  marshmallow.  Isn't that a special idea?"  And it works.  Because o.m.g. is she cute when she says it.

These two are thick as thieves.  

She often says, "That was fun!" when we leave places and sometimes "let's do that again!", like after a recent wedding shower turned dance party that ended at 11 pm -- "That was fun, let's do it again!" Speaking of dancing, this girl always dances.  At music class, at the library, walking from the living room to her bedroom, all of these are perfectly legitimate places to dance.  I tend to agree. And, so she doesn't seem completely crazy as she dances through life, she'll sing a little tune and sport a dress or a tutu, or what I like to call a Grace Nycz special -- a dress OVER a tutu. No hair clips or ponytails though. EVER.  "They huuwt."

A few weeks ago my sister Eden and I were driving in a different city trying to find a park, using our phone's gps in vain, when Grace, from the backseat yelled, "Just call DADA!"  The jig is up.  She knows I suck at directions, and that dad is the one we turn to when things need fixing.  Speaking of dada, Eric has brought to life a delightful stuffed pup named Susie.  Susie can convince Grace to do just about anything that needs to be done, she is the only one allowed to read Grace stories before bed, and she does crazy flips and tricks and makes Grace laugh.  I love Susie because she gives mom some time off.  Thanks Eric. Grace has also wised up to her dad's photography habit and says "pose" when she hears the shutter clicking.  She's getting pretty good, too.

"It's probably a good thing she doesn't let me shoot her very often.  I'd spend all of my time editing photos." - Eric

You know how I said my favorite part of this age is watching her develop her own opinions?  Guess who is the subject of most of her opinions?  The other day I was driving home from my mom's house and she said from the backseat, "You look awesome mom."  A few days later when I was reading her a story before nap time she told me: "Put your hair in a ponytail.  You look crazy."  In fairness, I did look crazy. It was humid.  "What are you talking about?" is another thing she says about a million times a day.  She's curious, and starting to become self-aware, recognizing that other people react to the way she is.  I just hope this self awareness never stifles her curiosity. Ok Grace?  Stay curious!  Play big!

Yesterday her "best friend" Auntie E asked what favorite animal is and she said, "A koala!" and gave us great story about koalas, their noses, how they eat and how cute they are, gesturing with her hands, talking about a million miles a minute, every other word barely decipherable.  We all looked at each other like, koalas now, huh! OK! Wait how the heck does she know about koalas? That, I think, is the part I'm not quite ready for; letting her experience the world for herself, for all the good and bad it has to offer.  I want to be her filter forever, letting in only the things that are worthy of her.  Alas, that's not the way it goes, and probably for the best.  Who knows what this little soul will come up with all on her own?  It's sure to be brilliant.

2.5

xxxxx --  From Grace "No, let I do it"