My baby is 23 months old today. She will be 2 in one month! While I'd like to say I can't believe it, I can. She is truly a two year old and I will not mask the fact that she acts like it. I am going to purchase the book "The Storng willed Child," unless someone wants to let me borrow it, and relinquish my anxiety that no other child can be this way, right? I know this is just a phase of our lives and I know other mothers struggle with strong willed children, and other people cry because they just can't figure out what works everytime to get their child to not push food off the table, get the carseat, put on clothes, get in the bath, put on socks, whetever it is. But, for now, we are getting by. I am exhausted each day after picking Eva up from school and tyring every trick up my sleeve to get her out of the building and into her seat. This is truly the only time it is tough to get her into the carseat, but it is a battle every time. I try to play Barney in the car, I try to give her snacks, I try to spank her with the spanking spoon, I try to let her climb in by herself, I try to bribe her (horrible I know), but nothing ever works except physical restraint and force... Whew, I am exhausted just thinking about it. I suppose it is a good thing she loves her school and playing so much that she wants to stay, but at some point she must learn to leave when it is time to leave. My daughter is smart, beautiful, funny and strong-willed. This will be a good thing in several years, I feel sure. But, how long will this last? I have heard different estimates, a few months it starts to get better, at three, but not sure which it will be for us. For now, I have to pray and learn more patience in the midst of these struggles with a strong willed child. I must learn from my mistakes, because I do not like the mommy I am when I fight and get frustrated and cry because I can't make my child do what she needs to do. Despite all of this Eva is many other wonderful things at this milestone in our lives.
23 Months
23 Months 1. counting (even in her sleep)
2. spelling( Eva- e, d, a because she can't say v) dada
3. hugging and kissing
4. mimmicking my behaviors and words (even more reason to watch how I discipline)
5. wearing all size 2 clothes and a size 7.5 shoe- with room to grow
6. obsessed with sidewalk chalk
7. preferring to dump out crayons to neatly put them up, rather than color
8. trying to memorize her books instead of just the last words
9. praying for friends, family and Barney, Babybop, Dora, Boots and Swipey every night
10. eating like a bird
11. loving cake
12. loving ice cream in a cone
13. crying when she has to leave Mammama, Papa, Mimi or Pawpaw.
14. making silly faces
15. sleeping as long as we let her
16. saying "Cheese" really big instead of smiling for pictures
17. asking "What's this?" about everything
18. pretending to read the Bible anytime she sees one - only adult ones
19. wearing mix matched socks because her aunt showed them to her
20. pitching fits on the floor when she is tired
21. walking on her own around the zoo (with the elephant harness we had to buy)
22. screaming "Nala" everywhere at the zoo becuase she thinks Nala is there
23. eating french fries any chance she gets
23 things for 23 months. Next month it will just be 2 for a 2-year-old! Maybe...
I love you Eva!
warning...This is a nasty face, eating creamy pasta and bread! 
She even mailed mine to me so that I could wear it on our way to Ellijay, the apple capital of Georgia where the 
Mine and Erinn's tent Ridgeroost, black and white striped with red accents and red inside. This is very much a tent, but I tell you, thank goodness it was fully equipped with all of our modern eminities because our first night was the roughest night anyone has ever stayed in them. We had thunderstorms, hail and high winds and rains. I did not sleep much, but that is okay because we got to rest and nap all we wanted! 
So, Glamping is a bit more like a bed and breakfast. Each meal was served on a precious little covered porch with draped fabric and a farm table. The meals are gourmet style, but home cooked. We even had wine and appetizer hour before dinners! This is JoAnn the lady who created Glamping and The Martyn House. Our food was amazing and all very "green"? I believe that would be what you call it. The meat was all fed organically and slaughtered very humanely... if that is possible. Anways, it was delicious and fresh. 
This is our last morning after breakfast. This is JoAnn and Rick, the couple who run the site. They are great hosts! Fun times, and I 
So, for a few nights over my spring break week I convinced Grant to go to NYC. He has never been and I just had the itch to go back. Even though I have been there several times in and since college there were still things I had never done. Well, we did it ALL! I mean in three days we ran the gammett. It was so fun, not relaxing, but very fun. We walked more than we ever had in our lives but saw so much and enjoyed so much. I will spare you ever single little detail and only describe the highlights, then I will include an itenerary of our events. First, we got to go to see the Today's show one morning and meet Merideth Viera. We also got to go to a filming of David Letterman, what a production. Very fun, but of course our guest was Birmingham's own Charles Barkely, go figure. 
We also got to go to Mary Poppins. I will admit, Grant was not really into the musical scene but after our fantastic ticket price and our private box seats, he loved it. Not just because of that, but the experience and the effects were not what he had anticipated. I am glad he agreed to go because it was so fun. 
We got to up in the Empire State building at night, never done that, and go up Top of the Rock, a new attraction on top of Rockefeller Center. We visited the upper East side shopping row and brown stones, and got to eat at Bobby Flay's favorite hamburger joint, J.G. Melon, very good and local. 
Last, but not least we also visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We didn't go up in the statue but we did go into Ellis Island Museum. Whew, we took a bus tour to get to all these places as well as Ground Zero and Canal street and Little Italy. It was the way to go! 
See what I mean? Not even looking at the camera. Just "CHEESE!"
Or oh yes, the silly face. Too cute!
