Cute Kelly Things

Kelly is coming up on 2 years old in a couple of weeks and I just cannot believe it. I really love 18mos to 2 years - what a fun age. Running all over, talking up a storm, so much fun stuff. Here are some of my favorites...

• Massage: We like massages in this family so Kelly now will stand up behind you on the couch, pinch your shoulders and shake you gently back and forth to give you a massage. She will also do karate chops on demand. She will also ask for massages. She got that from Joe :)
• "Hi Honey" and "SEEENNNAA": She will call out to me from the other room at the top of her lungs "SEEEENNAA", until I say "You can't call me that!" at which point she says "Hi, Mama" and gives me a huge hug. She also will enter a room, look right at me and say "Hi, Honey". It's way cute.
• She likes to run back and forth in the kitchen over and over and say "I runnin". She will then grab your hand until you do it with her.
• Her hair fixation is still going strong. While hugging she wraps her arms around you and plays with your hair. Sometimes she says "ponytail, ponytail" if she wants me to put mine up for easier playing. It doesn't have to be me either...she plays with anyones hair she is hugging - my mother in laws, Shelaghs, Rorys (not as easy), the babysitter at the Y, whatever. She also will carefully move my hair from my chest so as to clear a place to lay her cheek.
• When she wants your attention, she wants it 100%. To talk to you, she will grab your face with both hands and bring it right to hers to tell you something. To bring you somewhere, she grabs your pants (really firmly!) and pulls you saying "Come on, Dad. Come on!" You have no choice but to oblige. When she wants to show off, she yells out "Look at me, Mom! Look at ME!".
• She is really into gentle kissing right now. She will take your head, bend it down, and kiss you on the head. Then, kiss your cheeks and lips and anywhere you might have a boo-boo. She also likes to go through her repetoire of affectionate gestures at bedtime as part of our routine..."Huggytime!"...Hug, Squeeze, Snuggle, Kiss, Kisses all Over, Eskimo/Noses, Butterfly Kisses (followed by a 'hehe' from Kelly), then ended with "Friends, here I come!" which is her announcement to the sleeping stuffed friends that she's coming in. First, though, we have to name them all - Big Snoopy, Little Snoopy, George, Rocket, Baby, and Hippo. Then, she goes in and calls out for little blanket and big blanket. Then she announces "warm and cozy" and follows my "Love you, Kelly" with "I know, Mom". Heaven.
• She loves to float in the tub on her belly. I squeeze her bum and yell out "Squishy Tushy!" and she yells back "No squishy tushy!!!". She's tough to get out after that goes on for a few minutes.
• And, finally, my favorite is the purposeful and blatant usage of her puppy dog eyes when she knows she is doing something wrong. It starts with rapid blinking, some shifting of eyes to look sideways and finishes with a lowering of the head and pout. Classic.