Penelope, look how much you have grown since your first birthday! Happy 18 months Little P!
You are growing faster than a weed! When we were in Germany you were just a little thing compared to your German companions, but here you are towering over your peers. It must be what you're eating, because you are quite the little eater. You love to devour your breakfast bowl of oatmeal or Wheatabix cereal and demand seconds. You're currently in love with avacadoes, corn, beans, tomatoes, and cheese, and even though your parents can't stand the taste of it, you prefer milk over anything else. A few nights ago you devoured a plate full of asparagus and mushrooms for dinner, and when we go to the grocery store you demand sample after sample or oranges, cantelopes, or whatever fruit is on special. You still don't care for meat, which makes your mama secretly happy but upsets your dad.
You are always busy and on the go, but every once in awhile we can catch you for a few moments of cuddling. You love to give wet kisses, blow kisses and give hugs to any stuffed animal, doll or warm body nearby. You love to go to school and play with your friends, but you always light up when it's time to go home. You started calling me "Mah" for some reason, but daddy is still "Daddy."
You love to play outside, whether it be at the park or in the backyard. You often bring us your shoes and beg to be let out right that very moment, rain or shine. Sweeping the back porch and the grass is your current favorite obsession.
We have to be careful what we do around you, because the second we turn our backs you attempt to imitate us. This comes in very handy when it comes to cleaning up messes and wiping your nose, but it become quite dangerous when it comes to plugging in the lamp or wielding sharp objects.
You still love to read books, and your attention span has been much better. We can make it through an entire book at bedtime now, even two on a good night! You have also become quite the budding artist. You try to sneak any pencil, pen or crayon so that you can create your own masterpiece. Unfortunately your artistic aspirations have also included decorating furniture and floors, so we have had to cut it back to using your special washable crayons in the bathtub during bathtime.
You are learning new words and skills every day. Not only can you identify your body parts, eat with a spoon, build a block tower, and win a dancing competition, you can also use a mouse and navigate your parents' iPhones with ease.
Although you had a slow start, your speaking vocabulary has grown by leaps and bounds within the past few weeks. You have a particular fondness for 'c' words like "cup", "car", "come", "ava
cado", your friend "Chora", "cockadoodledoo" (which is distilled down to "cock" in Penelope lingo), and today's new word "cracker". You are also a pro at making the noises that dogs, snakes, cows and monkeys make. Your one German word that you picked up while in Germany has still persisted--around here all the "no-no's" are "nein!", pronounced with a harsh German accent.
See that smirk on your face? That's your trademark expression when you know that you're up to no good.
And you've convinced yourself that if you dive onto the floor or behind your mother's legs, you are invisible.
You certainly keep us on our toes little girl! You are constantly experimenting with gravity and testing the limits of your little body. Even though we took off the bottom step up to your high chair, you still manage to climb up into your highchair when we're not looking and plop yourself into your seat. Just a few days ago your daddy thought he had lost you in the house, or, worse yet, out the front door. After several minutes of calling your name and frantically searching around the house he discovered you quietly hiding behind the door in the pitch-dark study. Little did your daddy know that you are an expert at the game of hide-and-go-seek.
Inspite of all of your trickeries and tendancies towards disobedience, we love you more dearly than any other little girl could possibly be loved.
After all, you are our little Penelope!
