Lucy Updates

Isn't she cute? (I may have posted this picture before... but I just had to post it again.)

Lucy is a joy to be around these days. When you let her loose somewhere, she'll run around and "talk" to people, visit tables (if in a restaurant), play in any dirt she finds, and make everyone smile. She is precious and we are so blessed! I can't believe she'll be 20 months in 4 days. Wow. Where has the time gone? 

She really seems to be doing well at the nursery school. She cries at first when we drop her off, but the teachers and a friend of ours who has seen her at school says that she is always smiling and "singing" and having a good time. And, as my grandmother pointed out, she still runs to us when we pick her up, so she's not mad at us for leaving her each day! :) She's totally exhausted when we pick her up and usually heads straight for a nap when we get home. We're not sure we'll ever get to actually see her enjoying the nursery school...but at least we know she is. 

Tonight we headed across the border to a bigger town than our current city. We had some good food and then let Lucy run around in this HUGE, GIGANTIC kids area they had. They had all these carnival rides and games and video games and even a big roller coaster that weaved in and around the whole area. It was massive! And SO LOUD! She just walked around in amazement most of the time. And when the roller coaster would whizz by, she'd just stop and stare, following it all the way. And we didn't spend anything on any rides because right now, she's totally satisfied with just looking at things and getting to run around! I do believe that will change before our 2 years is up in this city...

(Again, this picture might be a repost... but so cute and so rare that she's looking directly at the camera with something other than a blank expression!)

She's so very smart and shows us new things each day. No, she's not talking yet, but we know she understands us and is very clever. 

She follows a set of commands: Get the ball and bring it to Daddy, Put this in the dirty clothes, etc. 

She'll roar like a lion and put her hands up like claws. 

She knows many of her body parts and will point to them on command. 

She buzzes like a bee. 

She will put things in the trash. 

She plays pretend with a spoon and anything that's remotely like a plate or bowl. 

She uses any and everything like a telephone and will "talk" into it. 

She took the 4 magna doodle magnets that you use to draw on the magna doodle and took them to the fridge...realizing that they were all magnets and would stick to the fridge, too!

Lucy Loves:

She loves to clap and anytime she hears applause, she'll join in.

She loves to "hide" and wait to be found.

She loves the song "Mister Sun" and does some of the motions with it: "hiding behind a tree"/eyes covered with hands, "these little children are asking you"/motion to yourself, "please shine down on me"/hands come down like it's raining down on you. 

She loves to color and write with a pencil! She's left handed! She likes to lay on her stomach and draw/write on the paper on the floor. She's also started watching movies like this. So cute!

She loves to throw the ball with her daddy and chase it around and she kicks a ball with her right foot.

She loves, loves, loves to dance! I've always called her my dancing queen. Anytime she hears music, she'll stop and dance, rocking back and forth. If we sing "Ring Around the Rosie," she'll run over and have to hold hands to do it with us. She likes to hold hands and rock back and forth, dancing to different songs.

Lucy's favorites:

Movie: Toy Story, followed closely by Madagascar and Monster's Inc. 

TV Show: Charlie & Lola, followed closely by Barney

Song: Mister Sun and I Love You, You Love Me

Book: Baby Einstein First Words

Snack: popcorn, pretzels

Thing to do: run around anywhere!

Toy: Legos and anything that writes/colors

Fruit: grapes

Veggie: cucumbers and tomatoes

Food: chicken nuggets, mommy's salsa (like her daddy!), Pringles

I love you, Lucy bug!