Molly, like most other toddlers I know (especially oldests), loves to be a child of routine. She likes her wake-up, nap-time, and bed-time routines to be predictable. She sticks pretty resolutely to a limited rotating menu of boring (yet nutritious) meal choices. Despite her overflowing bookshelves, she chooses the same half-dozen or so books to be read over and over and over again. And her playtime tends to follow a fairly predictable pattern, with beloved toys being dragged out time and time again, while other remain untouched for weeks at a time. I suppose, like all of us, she enjoys a few of her "favorite things". Such as...
Playing outside. We've taken to spelling out "o-u-t-s-i-d-e" because if we say it aloud, Molly's standing at the door within seconds, pounding on the glass to go out. Just look how excited she is in this picture just to be outside in the freezing cold. 
Playing in the gravel driveway. If we're outside, that's the first thing she goes for. She could sit on the hard gravel forever just sifting the stones back and forth between her hands...
...and studying the details on the most "interesting" pieces of gravel. I guess what toddlers find "interesting" is relative.
Beads--Beads--Beads! Because she's ALL girl, she loves to dress up. She received a big sister gift of a crown, tutu, and mardi gras beads when Ian was born. She and those beads have been inseparable ever since. She was willing to share one strand at a time with her cousin, Isaiah...
...but once he got his hands on two necklaces, she was itching to get them back. Look at that toddler grab! You can almost hear her little brain thinking, 'MINE! MINE! MINE!'
Playing in the gravel driveway. If we're outside, that's the first thing she goes for. She could sit on the hard gravel forever just sifting the stones back and forth between her hands......and studying the details on the most "interesting" pieces of gravel. I guess what toddlers find "interesting" is relative.Beads--Beads--Beads! Because she's ALL girl, she loves to dress up. She received a big sister gift of a crown, tutu, and mardi gras beads when Ian was born. She and those beads have been inseparable ever since. She was willing to share one strand at a time with her cousin, Isaiah......but once he got his hands on two necklaces, she was itching to get them back. Look at that toddler grab! You can almost hear her little brain thinking, 'MINE! MINE! MINE!'Her baby dolls. She's quite the little mommy to her dollies. She bottle-feeds them, burps them, and pushes them around in her shopping cart. Now that she's observed me mommy-ing Ian for the last month, I'm just waiting for her to start "nursing" her dollies too. In this picture, I think she's exhibiting some kind of wildlife nurturing behavior by carrying her baby under her chin. That, or she just wants both hands free to play with her beads and twirl in her tutu :-) 
Getting the mail. This is definitely one of her favorite daily activities and it's twice as fun when her cousin, Isaiah, is here to help. She loves mailboxes in general. This means our neighborhood walks have become a lot shorter and a lot slower because she wants to walk up and study every mailbox we walk past.
Multi-tasking her play. She can play tunes on her music table, ride her pony, and love on her baby at the same time. Some day it will be prepare dinner, fold laundry, and love on her baby at the same time, just like Mommy. 
Clothes and Ian's swing. Any new clothing item that enters the house (regardless of whose it is) must be inspected and carried around the house for an hour or so. It is especially desirable if it's on a hanger and still has the price tag on it. Molly sat in this swing for all of 15 minutes during her colicky infancy and hated every one of those 15 minutes. But now that the swing belongs to Ian and is technically "off-limits", it is the most desired seat in the house.
Getting the mail. This is definitely one of her favorite daily activities and it's twice as fun when her cousin, Isaiah, is here to help. She loves mailboxes in general. This means our neighborhood walks have become a lot shorter and a lot slower because she wants to walk up and study every mailbox we walk past. Multi-tasking her play. She can play tunes on her music table, ride her pony, and love on her baby at the same time. Some day it will be prepare dinner, fold laundry, and love on her baby at the same time, just like Mommy. Clothes and Ian's swing. Any new clothing item that enters the house (regardless of whose it is) must be inspected and carried around the house for an hour or so. It is especially desirable if it's on a hanger and still has the price tag on it. Molly sat in this swing for all of 15 minutes during her colicky infancy and hated every one of those 15 minutes. But now that the swing belongs to Ian and is technically "off-limits", it is the most desired seat in the house.Ian's soft head. Anytime Ian is in her vicinity, Molly MUST rub her cheeks on his soft, silky head. We've learned not to put hats on him if Molly's around because they get ripped off immediatly in order to uncover the softness. It is the most heart-melting thing in the world to see her rub her lips and cheeks all over his head. 
Her little brother. It's not just the softness that she loves. Molly really and truly loves her little brother. I just love to watch them together! I worried that she would be jealous or unaccepting of a new baby, but she has been sweet to him from the moment they met. Of course there have been a few moments of sibling rivalry, which I'm sure there will be much more of in the years to come, but Ian has definitely become one of her new favorite things. 
Her little brother. It's not just the softness that she loves. Molly really and truly loves her little brother. I just love to watch them together! I worried that she would be jealous or unaccepting of a new baby, but she has been sweet to him from the moment they met. Of course there have been a few moments of sibling rivalry, which I'm sure there will be much more of in the years to come, but Ian has definitely become one of her new favorite things. 
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