There is nothing really major to report on in our lives, but this weekend it has slowly dawned on me what a good kid I have. I think Maelie is known to many as a wild child, and she does have more personality than your average 22 month old (actually, she has more personality than some 28 year olds :). But lately she has been so much easier to "handle." I've felt like maybe the cagillion spankings I've doled out may actually be paying off. I know that there is still much work to be done, and surely there will be rough seasons ahead, but for now I'm really enjoying these moments of obedience. She's definitely defining her boundaries, but if you ask her to do something a lot of times lately she'll look at you for a minute, then you repeat your instruction - maybe with an added "or you'll get a spanking", and usually she'll say "A Kay!" and do it. ( I will probably so pay for this tomorrow - those of you who read this are welcome to laugh at me when she throws herself on the floor definitively ended this smooth stage!) I'm really proud of the little girl that she's becoming.
One thing I particularly think is precious these days is her obsession with Grandma Dane. She talks about her all the time, and since I think she one of the greatest people ever, I love it! You can ask her "Maelie, who do you love?" and she loves to list off the people in her life. Lately Grandma Dane is one of the first and often repeated several times. She thanked God for her 3 times tonight, and I thought it was the cutest thing ever.
Other important 22 month old accomplishments include: counting to 15 by herself, speaking at 7 word sentence (that doesn't happen a lot, but when it does it blows me away!), sharing very willingly at times, doing the "piggies" all by herself (the other day in the car she took her socks and shoes off and said "Piggy mock-it, piggy mock-it, wee wee wee wee wee and cracked up laughing) asking to go to bed fairly often and getting in her bed with little to no tears, wearing big girl panties for the first time, saying a prayer all by herself (when I overheard that I almost fell over and I almost cried) and perfecting her Chick-Fil-A order: "Chicken minis, white milk!" She says that as we get on the highway in the morning, then yells it from the backseat when we're ordering. I think she says "white milk" because when you order milk they ask you if you want white or chocolate, so I started saying white milk as I ordered to save that step. It cracks me up and makes me think maybe, just maybe, we eat at Chick-Fil-A too much....
