Regarding A-Little-Bit

Our Katie.

Kate has done so much growing and changing lately, and there are parts of her right now that I think I'll never forget because they are the essence of who she is... but the details of what makes Kate our Kitty Bit are so fleeting. I can't know when she's going to call her sister Eggie for the last time or tell us her name is NOT Peanut Butter McClinton. Here are things I don't want to forget about our Kate at 2 and 3/4 years old:

*A-Little-Bit (said: "Ah-Widdah-Bit")

Kate likes to play princesses. She usually comes downstairs dressed in a princess dress and then she tells us, "I Mulan!" or "I Pocahontas!" or "I Ariel (or Melody)!" It's a good thing she tells us, because the dress never matches the character.

When she's done playing, though, she lets us know by telling us, "I reg-er (regular) Kate." This is my favorite: if we catch her in that moment, we can ask her, "Are you Kate Peanut Butter McClinton?" And her response is priceless: "NO! I Kate A-Widdle-Bit Ah-Kwinton." I think I love it more than anything else about her right now. Whether she's trying to pronounce her middle name or whether she genuinely thinks her middle name is A-Little-Bit, I don't know. But hearing her state her name with such authority and certainty always gets a grin... usually a full-on laugh.

*Discipline, Laughter, and how personality plays into it

Which brings me to my next thought on Kit. It took Kate until she was 2 1/2 to realize she was two at all and to start acting out some. And even now, Jordan and I will often have to remind each other, "Avery would've gotten corrected for that behavior." Because when Kate does it, there is such a playful nature to her disobedience and it tends to throw us off. If we've asked her to do something, she will usually comply (which is still sort of shocking to us - children who obey with little correction? What is this?). But when she doesn't, she adds a little comic act to her disobedience - like sticking her tongue out and talking baby talk instead of responding appropriately or pinching our lips into funny shapes while we try to talk to her. We've always thought Kate had perfect comedic timing for such a little squirt, but the more she's grown, the more she's grown into it. There are instances when Jordan and I have to trade off on disciplining because we're having such a hard time keeping a straight face.

*More on Comedic Timing

Avery taught Kate recently how to hide when you know someone is coming. They laid under the sheets when they heard us, and sure enough, Jordan came in and rewarded them with tickles. Now, any time Kate knows someone might be coming, she hides under the blankets. Her patience with this game is remarkable. She was waiting in bed the other day for someone to bring her an Ooh Ooh, and a good 3-5 minutes had to have passed. When I walked in (too quietly for her to have heard me), I saw a little lump under the sheets... wiggling a good bit, but completely covered and hiding. There was no reason for her to expect me in that moment, so she must've committed herself to hiding until someone came, no matter how long it took. She is willing to go to some great lengths for a good laugh - her own and ours, too.

*Eating

It's hard to believe that a few short months ago we started seeing our OT, Miss Darlene. Kate is our super-star eater these days (the weight gain doesn't always follow... but that's another story). We started rewarding the girls for trying new food items with temporary tattoos, and it is common for Kate to have roughly 4 tattoos on at any given time. She is completely open to new flavors now and recently devoured a raw orange bell pepper. Her favorite meals are at restaurants, when she can load up on critical calories from favorites like rice and beans, mac and cheese, onion rings, and of course, french fries. I'm constantly amazed at how far she's come in the eating department and how much she can fit into her tiny tot body when she's motivated.

*Loving Eggie

When the girls are having trouble getting along, it is a full-time task to correct and guide their play. But, most often, those two are inseparable. Kate is perfectly happy to play second fiddle to Avery's wild notions most of the time. The last time the girls spent the night with my parents, we got this message about bedtime: "After snuggling Avery off of the bed twice; Kate: 'But Eggie is my sweetheart!' Avery: 'I don't think this is going to go well!'" Yep, that just about sums it up.

*With Cousin Amelia

One of Kate's favorite people to spend time with is her cousin Amelia, and of late, the feeling has been mutual. Amelia (almost 2) calls Kate 'Keats' and asks her Mommy, "Keats...More?" Keats, for her part, loves to hug Amelia (sometimes a bit too much), nap with Amelia, and trade places with Amelia (it is often that the 2 year old acts more like a 3 year old and Keats takes on the role of Terrible 2 when the cousins are all together).

*Refusing to Be Forgotten

Kate may be about to take her very distinguished role as middle child, but she is not going to be forgotten there. Her gentle, unassuming personality has a very silly, assertive side to it. When she notices that she's not getting the full measure of attention she has deemed necessary, she'll break out in baby talk, in peek-a-boo with a napkin, or in a myriad of other adorable but demanding ways to clarify... it's as if she's saying, "I'm easy to get along with and generally fine with not being the Alpha, but I'm also not going to get walked over by anyone!" We're so glad, really, because one of her teacher's goals for us at the end of the last school year was for Kate to practice asserting herself more. She's gotten really good at that lately, and I love watching it because when she turns to share her boundaries with another child, it conjures up images of a chihuahua taking on a pit bull. No one tell that girl she's tiny... only Tiny but Mighty!

I could go on and on about this kid. She's my favorite anomaly to try to describe: shy but loves attention, tiny but ferocious in eating, fully two but somehow primarily obedient...

Kate A-Little-Bit McClinton, I could eat you up I love you so!

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