OK...I'll say it: LITTLE GIRLS ARE WAY FUN!!!!! This, of course, is not true all the time. Sometimes we feel the need to change the spelling of Susannah's name to S-A-S-S-Y...or, even more appropriate much of the time, to
D-E-F-I-A-N-T or D-R-A-M-A. But we adore her nonetheless, all the while praying that those wild emotions will come under control someday soon (please, God???!!!).
At just over two-and-a-half, she continues to be a focused, driven child who constantly makes us laugh and stand in awe of her ability to express herself in full, detailed sentences (kinda makes you wonder where she gets this gift...). When I'm not getting a play-by-play narrative of her every perception or inner musing, I'm being serenade by made-up songs or "read" to from some of her books. What can I say except this little girl talks A LOT!!! But that chattiness is what makes her so precious and so...SUSIE JOY!
We have been doing a few super-girly projects and play experiences recently. Over the course of several afternoons and evenings, she and I made a "fairy house" at the kitchen table. This was inspired by a Tinkerbell movie we watched during a "Family Movie Night" (complete with homemade popcorn and Snuggies!) when it snowed. She worked very hard from start to finish, altering and embellishing the design as she went. If I were a fairy, I'd sure love to live in this beautiful place!
Putting a coat of blue paint on a shoebox to create her "fairy house." Blue is her favorite color (with red running a close second), so in addition to this fairy house, she and daddy spent an afternoon in early January painting a large cardboard box to make a dark blue stable for her toy horses.
Got some blue fingers in the process! Had to assure her several times that she is WASHABLE!
Daddy cut some windows in the fairy house. Susannah told him exactly where to cut them and what shape they should be. She then painted glue on every available surface so that endless quantities of gold and silver glitter would stick!
We added blue rick-rack, blue lace, and plenty of silk flowers before she deemed the project complete! She was elated to show her finished product to Daddy and to all who visit our home. Now we just need a fairy or two to live inside. Mama needs to make a Michael's run to surprise this little girl one day... :)Bunny House
Susannah has a great wooden dollhouse that I bought second-hand. Thank you, God, for always providing just what we need to help our little girl learn, grow, and stay entertained for hours each day! One of her favorite things to do is to play with her Calico Critters bunny family in her dollhouse (who needs the little people that belong in it, right?!). She dresses and undresses them with my help, arranges the furniture, and then helps them to "live in" the house. They talk to one another and to me (I always have to look at her when I'm addressed because I never know if it's Susannah talking, or an inanimate critter "talking." If I neglect to look, I'm certain to receive correction!), and they have quite elaborate-for-a-two-year-old situations arising in their lives. When she is done, the bunnies always go to sleep, and she insists that Mommy and Daddy talk very quietly or not at all. Wouldn't want to wake them, after all!
Bella Bunny is talking to Mommy!
Bringing bunnies downstairs to their house, which is in the living room.
Rearranging the furniture so the bunny family can eat dinner. She is a very exacting child, so everything has a place. And don't you touch it. EVER.A Morning of Togetherness
Certain seasons of life demand even full-time at-home mamas to devote less energy to sitting and playing and more energy to other things...like caring for herself so that she can survive pregnancy! This past Friday morning, though, I felt a need a drop everything and just BE PRESENT with Susannah. Sure, we are together almost constantly, and even when I'm doing a chore we are still talking and sharing life. But selecting groceries at Kroger together is far different than following her lead and just BEING WITH HER. I made an internal pledge to ignore the phone, the unmade bed, the mountain of clean laundry on our unmade bed, and the dishes in the sink...and just PLAY. And what a difference it made for us both! Quality time is this little girl's "love language," and the time we spent left her satisfied. It showed in how she was more cooperative, more eager-to-please, more gentle and generous. Several times during our play together she would incorporate phrases I use in her daily teaching and correction, including Scriptures, such as, "I will serve you a piece of cake, Mommy, because I'm a 'cheerful giver,'" and, "I'm using self-control and kindness when I tell Rylie, 'Please get out of my pink room.'" Almost makes me feel like my investment in this little lamb is having some return! :)
We had a birthday party for Susannah using the play cake she received for Christmas. She told me, though, that we couldn't have our cookies, cake, and ice cream until we ate our "healthy growing foods" first. So, prior to indulging in this masterpiece, we shared some "cutting fruits," which she also got for Christmas!
Ready to serve Mommy a piece of cake! 
Cutting and decorating is such FUN for little hands!
Once our birthday party was complete, we semi-cleaned up her kitchen set and foods and it was ballerina dancing time! Tutus, everyone!
Here, she is doing the "Clog Dance" from La Fille Mal Gardee. She puts in her ballerina music CD, turns her ballerina book to the correct page, and commences her moves!
Just like any good little ballerina, there's always time for a "chocolate break"! She got out her toy chocolate set, and we indulged before going back for more dancing.
After a couple more songs it was time for an ice cream break. This is a girl after my own heart! She offered me her two favorite flavors--strawberry and "gorilla" (vanilla)--which showed such self-sacrifice!
Back to dancing! Here, she's doing the Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty. Notice she has made a slight costume change by adding ballerina slippers and a scarf. Others included changing to her black Mary Janes to "clog" better, putting in headbands to match the dancers pictured in her book, and... 
...adding WINGS, of course!!!! I think assisting her 37+ costume changes was far more exhausting than the actual dancing! :)
Before heading downstairs for our [real] lunch, we had to have more ice cream and chocolate. Here, Little Miss Meticulous spreads a tissue on the rug to function as a napkin "in case I drip my ice cream. We don't want sticky ice cream on my pink rug, Mommy." Now tell me: how many little boys care whether or not their toy ice cream drips onto their rugs???!!!
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