Annie Bananie

Our little Annie pie turned two about 2 weeks ago. She is our little fireball and we love her. I was just thinking today about how empty our family would be without her. It would certainly be a lot less exciting. For her birthday we kept things pretty low key. We went to dinner at Chick fil a and then came back and had cake and ice cream and opened presents. And for the second year running her favorite present was a toothbrush.
Here are a few fun facts about Annie at 2 yrs old. I was trying to keep this short, but apparently I really adore this girl, so here you go.

1. She's very independent and likes to copy what we do. She is constantly changing her clothes and putting on socks and shoes (usually mismatched and on the wrong feet). I came out of the shower the other day to find her stripped of her jammies but with socks (one of them mine) and shoes on.
2. She is feisty. When she gets angry or frustrated she grits her teeth and unleashes her fury. Poor Lauryn is usually her target and despite being about twice her size is usually outmatched. We are working on Lauryn standing her ground and Annie controlling herself. We are also working on not hitting mommy:)

3. Her verbal skills have really blossomed in the last few months. I love waiting to see what will come out of that little mouth next. The ability for Annie and I to communicate with each other has really helped to reduce the frustration for both of us. She understands when I say, "Annie, that is enough." And I understand her when she says, "Mommy, don't say that is enough, okay?" She also tries to tell jokes and be silly and thinks she's so funny. The other day we were driving in the car and I said, "Annie, I love your guts" to which she replied, "I love your guts, car" and laughed like it was the funnies thing ever.

4. She loves to play rough. She loves when you throw her around and tickle her like crazy. If you stop she'll even grab your hand and put it back on the spot you were tickling. She'll sometimes put her forehead right up against mine and push as hard as she can while growling.

5. She can be super sweet. Every once in a while she'll run up to me, squeeze my leg, and say "I love you, mommy!". She loves to be held and snuggle into you. She and Lauryn love to give tackle hugs to each other. She also loves to snuggle and hold dolls and stuffed animals.