The Year Through Grace's Words

So, I have been thinking for a while that I want to put all of my scribbled "gracie-isms" in one place for easier compilation at an unnamed future date when I will be able to put together her cute baby books. Along with that thought, and my sister Jenny's gentle reminders that I haven't blogged since Summer, I thought I would start this new year with apparently a few very long sentences, AND a list of the grace-isms from 2011 that I have jotted down. Enjoy! Oh, and a special shout out to Grandma Joy, who at my baby shower, suggested I write these types of things down on a calendar right away so you don't forget when little milestones happen. Great advice!

• Ok, so the first one is not a vocalization, but it was too cute to pass up. Grace on January 30th, 2011--A Sunday. We are getting ready for the sacrament and I am whispering to her about Jesus and showering her a picture of him. I look over a second later and she is gently trying to give the picture of Jesus a sip of her water--a true act of friendship and love to an 18 month old.
• January 31, 2011--we are driving in the car and the windshield wipers start on. From the back seat I hear a very dramatic, "Wow. Scare me!"
• March 22, 2011 as Grace wakes up next to me: "Good morning Mommy. I saw a white bird climbing a tree. I saw a doggie go park. And I saw a spider in Mommy's room. Uncle Kevin washed it with a paper towel." And you wonder what kids are dreaming about.

Aunt Jenny, Mommy, Grace and Spider "washing" Uncle Kevin at Bridal Veil Falls 

• May 7, 2011 as Grace is digging in the garden with a little shovel, "I'm working hard."

• May 29, 2011, after Michelle told Grace, "I'm so sorry about your cut by your eye." She sincerely responds, "I appreciate that."

• It is also around this time when Grace first starts saying, "I have a compromise." Followed by a reasoned outline of a give and take between the two of us. "Let's Compromise" becomes a staple in our home and despite the negative connotation such a word gets a few weeks later when used by the House of Representatives' Tea Party folks, my not even 2 yr old understands that in life, compromising is not only necessary, but virtuous ;

• May 31, 2011 to Grandma Nan as we come into the kitchen in the morning, "How did your night go?"

Grandma Nan and Grace at Temple Square Spring 2011

• From the week of June 6th 2011: After seeing Sleeping Beauty Grace takes to telling people "I'm going to kiss you up." And for a while kisses me up each morning. 

Sleeping Beauty for Halloween 2011

• I inquire about something she is eating, and if she wants more and she tells me, "I'm just going to have a little taste and see how it goes."

• My mom calls Gracie from the kitchen and she answers, "yes darling." 

•  June 16, 2011 Grace is pretending to be a baby dinosaur and I am feeding her. I spill some oatmeal on her and say, "silly mommy. I spilled on you." She smiles, "That's ok, mommy." Later I attempt to make a dinosaur sound to which she replies, Mommy that's a silly word."

• June 17, 2011 After hearing a sound Grace says, "What's that sound?" Me: "Is it an owl?" Grace: "No...it's a ...what's it called...a...what's that called..." Me: "a bird?" Grace: "No! what's it called...a....a..TRUCK!"

• July 27,2011 as we are laying in bed getting ready to go to sleep Grace spontaneously says the magic words to me, "I love you!"

• August 28 2011 she gets a little tied up with her phrasing for a bit saying, "what we can do?" whenever she wants to know what we can do today.

• August 24, 2011 as Grace and I are getting ready to go to the park: "Can we take a ball, by chance?"

• August 26,2011 as I am making her breakfast she offers this encouragement, "Good making, mommy! You are such a beautiful little princess!"

• October 11, 2011 as Grace and I put back a video tape of Cinderella 2 she smiles, "Oh, I'm two. We're the same age!"

• October 12, 2011 Me in a moment of exasperation, "Grace, you are driving me crazy!" Grace: "But we're not in the car. ...Me driving YOU??"

• November 12, 2011 after I walked in the door from a surprise birthday sleepover--and only the second time I have ever been away from Grace overnight, "Mommy, I missed you with my heart!" Later that night as we get ready for bed she tells me very sternly, "I don't like you going to a sleepover with your friends. I think that is a bad idea"

• November 18, 2011 after watching Peter Pan where the kids learn to fly, she turns to me and says, "Should we try that?"

• December 1, 2011 Me: "Gracie you can't pull that ornament off the tree. You can't do that anymore." Grace, quoting the villain in the Swan Princess, dramatically responds, "Someday I'll get my power back!"

All powerful Rothbartlike-Grace

Once she has got her Christmas Sweetness back

• Lastly--a microcosm. Saturday, February 11th 2012: 1) Grace is trying to carry her doll in her dolly baby carrier and the doll keeps falling out. Finally, exasperated, she says to it, "For crying out loud, baby! This is not the place to get out. This is the zoo. We don't live at the zoo--only animals live at the zoo. Now stay in your seat until we get home!"
• 2) After I have been talking to her about something not up to snuff she interrupts nicely and says, Ok...I'm done talking about that now."(one of my phrases I use on her when she is asking me about something over and over)
• 3)We are acting out The Little Engine that Could on a wooden train set downstairs: "Then another train came track-ing around." I like it!
• 4) As we are getting Great-Grandma Glad some breakfast Grace asks, "Where is Aunt Karen?" Me: "She flew back to her home in Virginia." Grace: "Because we can take care of Great-Grandma now. We can be her good friends!" (My Grandma is living alternately with us and with my aunt Karen and this was after Karen had brought Grandma out to live with us for the first time).