about Caroline

I decided that using descriptive words with Nathan went well so I'm going to do the same thing for Caroline. I hope it will help me to give a good description of what she is like at this point in time.

Caroline is girly, talkative, copycat, smart, fiery, silly.

Girly - Caroline has jumped into her girly role early on. She loves shoes and she has definite preferences. Even last summer (at 18 months or so), she was already expressing very definite opinions on which shoes to buy. She likes bows. She doesn't have a ton (but enough), but she will ask for them. I try to let her pick out which ones she wants to wear, but also encourage her to match her clothes. In that area she hasn't learned to be too girly yet. She could really care less if everything matched or not. What she does prefer is to be wearing purple. It is most definitely her favorite color. If she can wear purple...underwear, shirts, bows, whatever...she's a happy girl! Now, don't get me wrong. This little girl may be a bit girly, but she also has no problem getting in the dirt to play!

Talkative - When Caroline can get a word in edgewise, she is quite the talker. She really only began talking at the beginning of December, but she has picked it up very quickly! In fact, her ability to speak is sometimes more advanced than her ability to understand what she's saying. It's funny when she uses a word or phrase correctly but in the wrong context. I enjoy when I get to go out with just Caroline. That's when she does the most independent talking. It amazes me how well she is speaking these days.

Copycat - Nathan is her leader and she'll do just about anything he does. If Nathan runs down the hall yelling some nonsense, she is often just behind him...running and yelling the same nonsense. If Nathan says he wants something to eat, she does too. If Nathan plays trains, so does she. Kids at this age learn by copying, but I think this goes a little beyond the norm...well...maybe it's the norm for a second child. Anyway, I get a kick out of her direct copying at times whether it be actions or words. I also want to encourage her to be more independent sometimes. But honestly, I don't think that will be a problem as she gets older.

Smart - Caroline is a smart little girl. She knows many of her friends names from church. It's so cute to hear her talk about them and what they did. She also understands concepts like who is a boy and who is a girl. I think this is the right age for that to happen, but it's still neat to watch. As of this morning, Caroline is counting to eleven. It's so cute. She has begun to take an interest in letters, but I don't think she knows any of them yet. The main way that I think her intelligence manifests itself is through her speech. She can put ideas and thoughts together that I don't think are typical for her age and also express them well with her words. I honestly can't think of an example right now, but when I do I will let you know.

Fiery - Caroline is already developing a little temper and an independent mind. I know from experience that these things will help her in life, but she's going to have to learn to manage them first. One of the best examples that I can think of is from when she and Nathan play. When he doesn't do what she wants, she will holler at him. She gets quite upset at times. She also has a look - you know, THE look. She doesn't use it intentionally now, but I think that look is going to get her in trouble as she gets older.

Silly - Now I have to say, Caroline comes by this trait honestly. Her brother, father, and grandfather are all a bit silly. One of my favorite parts of her being silly is her laugh. I love it when she laughs! Most of her silliness, though, comes in the form of copying Nathan's sillyness. And he has more than enough to learn from!

I feel like I'm forgetting some things, but at the moment nothing else is coming to me. If I think of more, I'll be sure to add them along the way.