Two.Five Years Old

 2.5 Years Old

• It has been our March Madness  over here with all the birthdays. You were able to get dressed up all fancy for Millie's Princess Tea Party, you stayed home for a girls' movie night while Sam had his dodge ball party, you you finished off the leftover cupcakes at Maggie's Cupcake War party. You had to sit through each of them opening up gifts. After each birthday, you would ask me where your presents where. You handled it all really well. 
• You are really liking the Seek and Find books. We have a few that are easier so you can find the items on your own. Reading books has not been your go to activity like the other kids, but you are slowly getting there. I like any book with a princess or ballerina in it. 
• We set up the trampoline the other day because the weather is warming up. You were so excited to be the first with Sam to try it out. You have loved the warmer weather and has asked to go outside a lot. Often, you will get your shoes on by yourself and just go out and play without even asking. The other day, you and Millie were outside with me such it was so nice. It was 50 degrees and sunny. Both  of you changed into swimsuits and asked for the sprinkler under the trampoline. Not quite that warm yet girlies.
• You have really liked playing with your doll, Juney. I will find you with a hair brush, just brushing out her hair. You ask to sleep with her. It is nice because Millie will play dolls with you. Other favorite toys are barbies and the tea set. I love seeing you girls set up a tea party and get all dressed up.
• Getting you dressed has been a challenge lately because you are so opinionated. You love wearing a dress every day, the fancier the better. But it is still cold enough to need pants.I try to get you to wear pants under your dress but your refuse. Sometimes I can trick you and call them tight pants because you love wearing tights to church. Most of the time, you insist on wearing a skirt under your dress. That gets tricky because then you blow through your dresses and skirts sooner. By the end of the week, it is a real struggle getting you dressed because you don't want to wear the remaining pants and shirts. You change five times a day, often pulling out dress up dresses or Millie's dresses. Maggie and Millie just add to the craziness byletting you wear their skirts on the weekend. 

Two.Four Years

 2.4 Years

• Post Christmas is usually quieter. I have been trying harder to have meaningful activities for you. Some of your activities are play dough, tea parties, and barbies. I did this forced perspective photo of you and Millie using legos. It looked like you were sitting in the lego castle. When I showed you the photo, you were cracking up. When Millie is at preschool, I try to bring up one of the bins of toys for you to do up here. You play a lot better when there isn't a lot of options and you can see me the whole time. I also will start the play and then after ten minutes, I can leave you to continue while I work on my list. 
• The big kids and I have been getting into puzzles lately. You have wanted to join, but just can't do the big puzzles yet. Even though the wooden puzzles have always been in the closet, it is like you have discovered for the first time as actual puzzles and not just a mess maker. I love seeing you bend over them, concentrating so hard. 
• You can getting very opinionated. Before, you would rate your food and say "I like it" even when you didn't really like it. Now, you have learned to say, "No, I don't like it". You will say anything that you don't like is spicy. We gave you a lime with your dinner the other night. It was so funny watching you pucker your face and say it's spicy. But since everyone laughed at you, you would do it again and again. So in addition of being opinionated, you also love to get people to laugh. 
• Funny comment: Sam was having a hard time in the van ride home from church, so he had to walk part of the way home. For the next few days after the, you would say, "Sam walk home". 
• You are finally starting to sit still for books. You love Pinkalicious books, Five Little Monkeys, and I Ain't Gonna Paint No More. There will be still times when you ask to cuddle and read books, but once we get settled, you grab the book from me and say that you are going to read the book. I am then stuck there watching you look at pictures. 
• Dress up is THE thing right now. I can't keep your clothes on you. Every time I do get you dress, you just turn around and take it off to get dress in some fancy dress. For a while, you kept raiding Millie's closet. I have now directed you towards the dress up bin. Your favorites are Elsa, Cinderella, and ballerina outfits with toes. 

Two.Three Years

 2.3 Years

• Christmas came! Dad was on call, so we had to work around his schedule. For Christmas Eve, I let you kids pick out the dinner. We had a shrimp platter, homemade ciabatta bread, cheese plate, and artichokes. It was awesome. We acted out the Nativity (silly style) and found new slippers under the star for We Three Kings, though you got new plaid PJs because you out grew yours and I wanted you to keep matching us. Dad went back to work while we watched a movie. We set up ground rules so no one was going to wake up at 5am. I blocked the stairs and had you call me at 7am at the earliest. Joke on us because Dad couldn't get back from work until 9:00am. I snuck downstairs and played games, read books, watched some shows. I brought a box of cereal down to keep our tummies at bay (which lead to lots of cereal all over the floor). We finally got to go up. Santa brought you a mini crib with baby, playdough,  and funny trinkets in your stocking. Dad and I got you your very own doll, two dresses (one matches Millie's), and an Eric Carle book where you can push all the buttons to make the animal sounds. All three kids pooled their money together and got you this giant fish stuffed animal. You were so excited to open all the gifts and gave such good reactions. You kept saying that Santa brought me this and Santa brought me that. The candy was a big hit and I had to stash not only your candy away, but everyone else had to put their stocking stuff up high right away because you were eating any chocolate that you could get your hands on. 
• After the break, you have been not taking naps and just playing in your crib. Not cool. Finally, I tried setting the pack-n-play up in the storage room since it is super dark down there and would make it so you couldn't see to sleep. It works about 90% of the time so I am excited about that. 
• The big kids have been trying to get you to use the potty. They brought out the old froggy potty and were bribing you with jelly beans. What you got out of it was that if you sat on the potty, you got a jelly bean. So you were pretty disappointed when that didn't happen. 
• You are talking so much more. When I read you a book, you and Millie like to point to the different characters in the picture and pick that one to be you. Well you like to say, "they all my girls" and not let Millie pick any of them. Your favorite color is still very much pink and insist on always having the pink cup and plate. You are trying to figure out the colors and love to ask me which color is this. You are pretty good with pink, purple, blue, and yellow. 
• Since getting those dresses for you for Christmas, that is all you wasn't to wear. And the funny part is that when you do wear a dress, you are very stubborned about wearing a skirt underneath it. Your favorite pjs are your "ballerini" pjs and will often dig them out of the dirty basket to wear them again. It is so funny watching you be very strong in opinion on what you wear.

Two.Two years

 2.2 Years

We went to Oregon for 8 days over Thanksgiving. We were suppose to stay with Grandma for the first half, but they ended up with COVID, so we stayed with Aunt Janecce and Uncle Dusty for the whole time. You loved the idea of Jessie and would get so excited to talk about her, but you two are still young to play with each other. We got there Saturday night, just in time for dinner and the BYU game. Sunday, we went to church with them and watch the kids in their primary program. We went to Champoeg State park for a nice nature walk that ended up being five miles. Annie and Joe's family came over for a birthday celebration that night. On Monday, I took you with the older girls to paint ceramics and eat sushi. You liked the rice part. We took you to Annie's that night with you got to play video games (well you watched) and watch a movie while we went out to eat as adults. Tuesday, Hailey came over to Janecce's and babysat you while Dad and I went to the temple and Janecce had her workout session. Tuesday night, Josh's family joined the group and the party began. Wednesday, we went to the high school and played dodgeball and soccer. I just wanted to be the center of attention and would run for person to person asking them to hold you. Josh was a favorite for the day. You cousins had a movie night. Thursday, we went to the park and played while the boys played football. We went to the movies that afternoon and saw Encanto (which you liked!). We pushed Thanksgiving dinner back to Friday so Grandma and Papa could join us (just finished their 10 days). Beforehand, we went to the church and played floor hockey and chair soccer. You and the little girls tried playing at the beginning, but ended up playing family in the nursery room. Dinner was great and it was so good to have everyone. Saturday, we met Grandma, Papa, Josh's, and Annie's family to go to a Christmas tree farm and get a tree. It was fun to have Papa's old truck for you all to ride in the back of. Uncle Joe brought donuts and we were finished before the rain started. We did get to spend that night at Grandma's, which was good because you girls got to do crafts and help decorate her tree. We left the next morning. It was a great vacation.

• We have had a lot of fun with all the different Christmas tradition. Dad and Sam came home from the store with a gingerbread house kit. We each got to decorate one of the walls. We have four different advent day calendars going, so we have you all rotate which ones you pick. We have a Harry Potter Lego one, the tree with a piece of chocolate in each slot, the hanging of the nativity piece and then the activity board. Some of the activities that we have done are write a letter to Ben on his mission, have a Christmas dance party, open a present with a new Christmas book, and of course leave your shoes out for the elves. Connor, our elf that comes each year, even left a letter for you all. For red ribbon dinner, instead of individually gifts, we opened just one for the whole family. It was exploding kittens, a game that the big kids all feel in loved with over Thanksgiving at Dusty and Janecce's. 
• We went to Utah before Christmas this year. We made it just in time to watch the Nut Cracker ballet with the girl cousins. Saturday, you spent the day at Grandma's being watched while the older girls went off to watch The Nutcracker and the boys went off to watch BYU basketball. You love all her toys and Grandpa's jellybeans. On Sunday, we got to meet up with all the family for the big party. This year, you had Calvin for the gift exchange. I helped you pick out little bath toys for him. Bonnie had you and gave you a stuff doggy. Grandma and Papa of course gave you a baby pack-n-play. It was a great trip overall.
• Funny comments: When we sit down for dinner, you have started giving it the thumb rating system and saying, "I like it!" Your thumb is never up all the way, but you tend to wiggle side to side in the middle.
• You are starting to warm up to the idea of Santa. We saw "Santa" at Millie's dance concert and you gave him the stink eye. But when we read a book or see his picture, then you like him. But you definitely remember presents from your birthday, so you are excited about that. So much that we are having to keep all the presents in our room because you will ripe them open if I am not looking. 

 

Two.One Years

 2.1 Years

• We celebrated Halloween this month. Since you are not too thrill about costumes to begin with and I wanted to get more use at of last years, I had you dress up as the Kangaroo Joey again. Since Halloween landed on a Sunday, we celebrated on Saturday by going to the church Truck or Treat. Dad took you around the different cars with the big kids while I passes out candy. You LOVED the candy. At the end, you snuck into the trunk of the van, sneaking more candy. At home, it has been hard to hide the candy from you. You will push up the stool up to the counter to climb up and get in the bag. 
• Wrestling has taken over our weekends. I didn't know how you were going to handle the tournaments, but you have had a fun time with all the food and time with Nora on the bleachers. 
• Grandma and Papa Price came for a long weekend. We went to the pool, walked around town for the story walk, had a movie night with popcorn, watch Sam wrestle, ate at the Mexican Restaurant, and did lots of crafts, games, and books. 
• At the beginning of this month, you were saying "yay" for everything. It was probably your most said word. Now at the end of the month, it has changed to "yes" and you say your "s" very clear.
• Your language is exploding. You are transitioning from one word two-three word sentences. The other day, me and you were doing errands while Millie was in school. When I have a big kid with me, I sometimes leave you guys in the car. You are also really into Minnie Mouse and will call her mouse. On our errands at each stop, you would say, "JoJo come. Mouse come." 

Two Years

 2 Years

Dear Joanna, 

  

  Happy Birthday. These two years went fast. It amazes me how much you have grown this year. From walking, talking, and now cracking your own jokes and teasing your siblings. You are picking up new things each day. Just the other day on the way home from church, you kept repeating, "Go away" in your seat. The others were laughing, so you kept sing-songing that phrase all the way home. We celebrated your birthday by jumping in the leaves at Nora's house and then walking over to Creme with the Stones for a birthday date. That night, we ate one of your favorites spaghetti. Maggie was excited to give you a heart-shape pop it toy. Sam gave you new baby bottles. Millie gave you a nice wooden puzzle. Grandma Matthews gave you this baby bath set (Millie helped pick it out so she was really excited to play with you), and Dad and I surprised you and the girls with a new barbie house. We brought all the barbies out to the play room, which you like because it is easier for you to get to them. The highlight of the night was eating you fish cake with candy on it. All before dinner, you would drag a stool over and try to sneak some of the candy. 

    Oh girl, I love you so much. You are a huge momma's girl. My favorite are the moments that you want to cuddle with me, especially reading books before nap. I love how much you like to play with my hair. It melts my heart to feel your tiny hands combing out my hair. I love watching you try to keep up with the big kids. When they wrestle, you are right in the middle of the mix. When they are relaxing on the couch with books, you will pull a blanket up and join them with a board book. You ask for your siblings often during the day. I hope you always stay best friends with them.

    You are a true joy in my life JoJo, and I feel so blessed to be your mom.

Love,

Mom

Twenty Three Months

 23 Months

• The big kids start school this month. They were excited to go, but you asked me about Maggie fifty times that first day. Even Millie is going to preschool, so I have three mornings a week with just us. We have used that time to go walking up on the track while the weather is warm, cleaning the house, and focusing on reading. You are my lastest kid to enjoy books. When you are in the mood though, it is sweet to cuddle up on the couch with you.
• I have been trying to read before nap time every day. You favorite book is the Piggie and Elephant book, "Pigs Make Me Sneeze". You will sneak up on the big bed to read it. I will hear you saying "aahhh" and "sneeze". 
• Story time has started up again. Last year was hard with you climbing all over the place, wanting to ease the board, not letting others hold you, and only wanting to sit on my lap. This year isn't perfect yet, but you have grown up so much that it shows in you sitting still at least for the first book. You love when I bring out the musical instruments. 
• I decided this year that whenever I pack a lunch for the bog kids, I would pack a lunch in a lunch box for you and Millie. It has been a big hit. The kitchen stays cleaner at lunch and you two pretend that you are school kids eating lunch in the cafeteria. 
• I let you use the mini shopping chart at Cash-n-Carry for the first time. Now I can't go in without you running over to grab one. I have only got hit in the heel once. 
• Soccer season is in full swing. This year I am coaching Maggie's team. I tried asking Sam to watch you during that hour, but that hasn't work. Sometimes, you will sit sweetly with the balls. Food can keep you still, but most time I find you playing the goal and running onto the field. When Maggie is off and can watch you, you love finding Nora and playing with her. When we are getting ready for the park, you get excited and say, "soccer?!"
• You just repeated back to me "I love you"! I have been working so hard on this one with you. I love you so much!
• Your vocabulary has increased ten folds. You are still mostly one word, but occasional you will do two/three word phrases like "Millie bath. JoJo bath."