Kassie's favorite pal is a plush pink monkey. It doesn't go everywhere with her but it's a definite at bed/nap time. She's quite the little monkey herself. She loves to climb EVERYWHERE! One of her favorite places to climb is up on Nate's bunk bed, just to hang out. She's very adept at climbing up & down stairs, ladders, shelves, anything that will help her get to where she wants to be. We don't worry about her going up or down anymore - in fact the gate is up to prevent her from escaping not to keep her off the stairs for safety's sake.
She loves to go for rides & if you tell her it's time to go - she'll beat you to the door every time. She loves to play with friends & when she gets to pick up the big kids from school she just about jumps out of her skin with excitement to see them - calling out their names on the way there until she sees them. She truly adores both Nate & Abbie.
She's not much of a girly girl. She loves to "fist bump" and play games. She'll wear a dress & let you put a "pretty" in her hair that she promptly removes. I took this picture just to prove I do try. Abblie loved, and still does, to put things (bows, headbands, etc) in her hair - not she if she's ever left home without something in her hair - Kassie not so much, she's pulled everything out from the instant she was coordinated enough to reach up to her head & yank. Tom boy on our hands? Possibly, but she does "dress up" cute!
She doesn't like to be carried much anymore, the only exception to this would be dad - she's got him wrapped around her little finger & manipulates him to the ends of the earth. If I am taking her somewhere without the stroller I have to allow time for her to walk herself as she doesn't want me to carry her & will kick & fuss until I put her down. She knows what she wants & will make sure you figure it out (the sooner you do the lighter the consequences are).
We've been working on teaching her to be gentle with her as well as how to hold a baby the right way. Not as easy as it sounds - we're going to have to keep an eagle eye on her, but really would we do it any other way? No. We've also been trying to get her to learn to do little things on her own - like wash her hair at bath time.
Kassie is trying to talk & say more & more every day. She loves to point to body parts & tell you what they are.
"Ears"
She LOVES to be read to & brings us books "beh" and demands to be read to countless times a day. As someone who loves to read myself (with little to no time whatsoever to do it) I find complete joy in taking a break from whatever I am doing to read to her. Her favorites right now are picture books where she can point to a picture and you tell her what it is - but she's good at listening to story time at bed time every night. It's amazing to me to look back at pictures/videos from just a month or two ago and see the progress/growth that's she's made in such a short time. It baffles the mind - she's such a little sponge (they all are at this age I think I just forgot how much so).
She understands just about everything we say & is good at answering. We've also been doing some sign-language with her & so she has some extra words that way too. Please, Thank You, More and Finished are the ones we use the most.
She started nursery (at church) back in January & loves it. She's never (yet) had a problem being left there. Nate & Abbie like to take turns taking her & picking her up when church is over. Makes it easier on Dan & I and they have so much fun doing it who are we to say no? She's one of, if not the, smallest one in nursery - even though she's not the youngest, but she's got attitude & confidence the size of Texas so she does just fine. The biggest thing we've noticed since she's been in nursery, not counting the endless cold she seems to keep bringing home, is that she has a new word - MINE. Oh well, it was bound to happen - right?
Abbie has been working on the fine art of playing dress up with Kassie - she's getting the hang of it quite nicely.
She has favorite foods (she LOVES pickles & cheese - they don't have to be together but it's ok if they are) but eats just about anything - in fact if someone has something she doesn't she makes us well aware that she wants some of it too.
We tell her she's a funny little duck but a good duck to have around (a take off from a book we like to read - Tackylocks - cute funny stories).
I am grateful for Kassie's attitude. When Nate was born he was such a sober baby - hardly ever smiled. When Abbie was born she was such a happy baby it was hard not to notice the difference. Kassie tops them all - she's always happy! She's a little spit fire that keeps you on your toes but she's so happy & is always smiling/laughing unless she's making a funny face to get you to smile - what fun she is in our family. Happy, bubbly, goofy. The one the only - Miss Kass Mass.
