This spitfire is two and a half years old! Still so much the baby of our family, but people often comment that she seems older. I think she is permanently trying to convince everyone she is older so she doesn't miss out on anything her big sisters are doing. Tall and skinny with long hair and no "baby fat" either. She likes to fake cry and tell me, "You not a baby. I a baby!" I still need to work on potty-training with her. I keep procrastinating on that one.
We are back in a good routine with the new school year well under way. Ariana was in heaven with her big sisters out of school all summer. Now we are back to being a duo during the week and I love my time with her so much. She spends one day a week at her Bebe Jan's (grandma) house, one day a week at a babysitter friend's house and the other three days with me. We usually go to the gym in the mornings so she plays in the Kid's Club with her little friends while I workout. Then we run errands or play at home followed by lunch and nap time. Then its off to pick up the big girls. Ariana runs and gives them hugs when they walk out of school yelling, "My sisters!!"
She is always happy, silly and ready to laugh. Such a joy, our little caboose. Whenever her Daddy gets home from work she immediately orders him to go downstairs to the playroom to play. She loves to play with Barbies, Magnatiles, baby dolls and the little hard animals.
This is definitely the age of picky eaters and Ariana is no exception. Last week we had a showdown because she didn't eat any dinner and is getting into the habit of asking for a snack before bedtime. I don't mind giving my kids a healthy snack if they are still hungry, but didn't want her to think she can skip dinner and hold out for a snack. So I saved her dinner plate and when her big sisters were having a treat, she didn't get any until she ate some of her dinner. Oh, the crocodile tears and defiance came out in full force. She spent a solid two hours whining and crying for snacks. At one point, she got her arm stuck in the cabinet with the child lock on it trying to sneak a graham cracker. She is really stubborn, so I was expected to put her to bed hungry and mad. Surprisingly, right at bedtime after I caved and let her have some milk, she ran into the kitchen and gobbled up all the food on her dinner plate. On her own terms, apparently. Her favorite foods are milk, ham, goldfish crackers, plain Greek yogurt, strawberries, eggs and peanut butter.
We are all getting a huge kick out of our fun, smart little two and a half year old. She still argues that, "I eight!" if you ask her how old she is. Lexi and Zara think she is hilarious and "so cute." Now Ariana says, "its soooo cute" about everything. She loves anything pink and will only wear her pink "fancy shoes." She likes to get herself dressed and follows directions and says please and thank you better than anyone else in our house. Seriously. If I forget to do something I said, she reminds me. If someone leaves the door open, she shuts it. Love her so much I can hardly stand it.
