Monday, January 23, 2012

Gracie Girl


After my update on Sophie last week, I thought this week I’d do an update on my ‘Gracie girl.’ Every day, I think about how blessed our family is to have her in it. Since having Sophie, Grace seems to have grown up SO much. Goodbye toddler. Hello little girl.




We’ve been lucky that through the past few tough months, Grace has been an angel. Paul and I are always saying, “she’s just such a good kid” and she really is. She has a beautiful nature and a sweet personality but also a cheeky little streak and a great sense of fun. The other day as I was preparing dinner, she looked up at me chopping an onion and said, “Don’t worry Mummy, if it stings your eyes I will get that tea-tower (tea towel) there and wipe them for you.”

Lately, she’s become so independent. I hear the phrases, “no, I’ll do it” or “I did it all by myself Mummy’ a hundred times a day. She wants to brush her own hair, put on her clothes, go to the toilet and hop in the car seat all by herself. Consequently, being unable to do such tasks can sometimes lead to a lot of frustration.

As for her big sister role, she relishes being the older sibling and is a real mother hen with Sophie. The other day, I popped out of the room and returned to find Grace fussing over her little sister. “There was just a little bit of chuck on Sophie so I wiped it off with a chuck cloth,” she said as she dabbed Sophie’s mouth.

From the moment she wakes, Grace talks non-stop. She’s a real chatterbox. It’s exhausting at times but so very entertaining. She is inquisitive and asks hundreds of questions, commentates everything and has an amazing vocabulary. Just yesterday as Grace and I wandered around the markets, she amazed a stallholder by pointing to a plant and saying, “Look Mummy, a frangipani!”




As she always has, Grace continues to love the outdoors. She’d be happy playing outside and pottering around in the yard all day if I let her. She is a real animal lover and often tells me that Asha is her best friend. She has no fear and doesn’t think twice about trying to pick up critters like lizards. Yet as much as she doesn’t stop, she’s equally happy to sit down and colour in at the kitchen table or create things with her play-doh for a good length of time. She is VERY neat and her colouring-in continues to amaze everyone. My teacher friends say she’s neater than half of their six year old students. She loves her stuffed animals and brings a whole menagerie of them to bed with her, lining them all up on either side of her along the pillow and tucking them in beneath the sheets. If one is missing, she knows.




I can see that this year with Grace approaching three will be such a fun one for us and I look forward to all the exciting times we will have together. The other night as I gave her a big cuddle I asked, “Do you know how much I love you?” to which she replied,”To the moon?” She’s half right. I love her to the moon AND back…

19 comments:

  1. What a lovely essay on your darling daughter! I wish I could meet her in person. She sounds like a doll. When she is older, she will cherish what you've so lovingly written about her. You're lucky to have her ... and she's lucky to have you as a mommy.
    Claudia

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  2. What a beautiful post Amanda. This age is just lovely as they really start to develop their own personalities and communicate so much more. She sounds like a delightful little girl - and glad she has coped so well with a new baby in the house.

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  3. She is such a little darling! And it is an amazing age isn't it. The funny things they say etc. I'm so glad that she's coped so well with becoming a big sister. And I have been meaning to ask you if she actually coloured in the whole Angelina page herself because I thought she must have had help but if she did it herself that is extrodinary!!!! I'll have to send Will for lessons from her :)
    Jxx

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  4. Janette - yes, the Angelina picture was all Grace's work, I didn't do a thing :) She just asked me what certain parts of the picture were like, "Is that Angelina's arm?" and so on. I just sat with her and asked her things like, "What colour are you going to colour in Angelina's skirt?" etc. Mum reckons I was super neat as a little girl too. I only wish her 'neatness' would extend to tidying her room and packing away toys!! :)

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  5. Hi Amanda, you are lucky to have such a lovely, smart, sweet girl. She really is growing up fast! A beautiful post :)

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  6. What a gorgeous girl and such a lovely post! I have just come across your blog and have really enjoyed my visit!
    My twins are 18 months now and i know what you mean baout going from toddler to little girl....i fear we are getting there too quickly!
    I shall be following from now on as your blog is a great read on family life and home!

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  7. She's such a sweet looking girl and sounds wonderful too : ) you are so lucky x

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  8. Lovely post Amanda, yes, we are so lucky to be a mum, and have these experiences.x

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  9. Absolutely beautiful... love this post Amanda... gxo

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  10. Hello Amanda! What a gorgeous way to start my day; reading your beautiful post. Grace and Rocky sound so very alike. He too insists on doing absolutely everything himself and there have been some hair-raising tantrums as a result! But he talks a mile to the minute - from the second he opens his eyes to the second he closes them goodnight.His poor twin doesn't get a word in edgeways. Grace sounds just divine, and I'm so glad she's adjusted to being a doting big sister. I know I've been away for ages, but congratulations on the safe arrival of Sophie. I'm looking forward to catching up on your goings-on. Jen xxx

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  11. Such a sweet post! She sounds a lot like my daughter who talks non-stop all the time and I absolutely love it. This is such a fun age! When will Grace be three? My daughter will be three in March.

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  12. What a lovely post and such a gorgeous little girl.

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  13. Grace is really beautiful and I enjoyed reading about her. And you know, children really are a reflection of how they're cared for..Well done to you. Such a lovely post. Rachael xx

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  14. Grace sounds like a beautiful little girl, such a sweet and kind nature. And you are such a wonderful Mum Amanda. xx

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  15. You're raising a gorgeous little lady there, Amanda. A very happy, caring and well adjusted child which also says alot about her parents. So glad she relishes being a big sister too. Thanks for your lovely comments over at mine xo

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  16. She is just divine Amanda!!!
    What a happy, gorgeous girl you have! You will love THREE....I really enjoyed Ella when she was 3, it is/was such a fun age.
    I love the photo of Grace in her purple dress in front of the xmas tree....what a cutie!
    xx

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  17. What a sweet post! I loved reading it. :-)

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  18. What a fabulous job you're doing, Amanda! Goodness, Grace is just gorgeous. You clever mama. J x

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