Kyndall the Adorable at 2.5

It's been a really long time since I bragged about blogged about Kyndall's milestones, so I figured now was a good time to do that.  At two and a half years old, she is by far one of THE FUNNIEST toddlers I have ever met and keeps us laughing constantly with her witty little personality.  This post may be boring to some, but I feel it's important that I document these "little things" that I want to always remember about our sweet girl at this stage of life her life.  So, here's what Kyndall Anne Hughes has been up to lately........

• She hasn't been to the doctor since her two year check up, but I'm estimating she weighs somewhere around 27 pounds.  She is still wearing 24 month and 2T clothing, a size 7-8 shoe (depending on the type), and a size 4 diaper.
• She continues to challenge me in terms of her eating habits but some of her current favorites are grilled cheese, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, pop tarts, oatmeal (yay!), PB & J sandwiches, bologna sandwiches, waffles, yogurt, pizza, strawberries, bananas, oranges, peaches, and applesauce.  She is a bigger fan of the previously mentioned foods when they are covered in "dip dip" (aka Ranch dressing, ketchup, mustard, etc.) If you'll notice there are no veggies and no meat on that list.  Still working on that!  She drinks whole organic milk mixed with Ovaltine for breakfast and dinner and her juice of choice is V8 Fusion in the peach mango flavor, which she usually gets for lunch.  She also loves to sip on Mommy's sweet tea whenever possible!
• "Little Miss Independent" has become her nickname lately because we are constantly hearing her say "me do it" in a very demanding little voice.  Whether it's putting on her shoes, turning off a light when we leave a room, wiping her own nose or even cleaning the house---SHE WANTS TO DO IT!  I love this because it has proven to be very helpful when used to my advantage.  She loves to take things to the trash, put her dishes in the sink and clean up after herself. 
• I am completely amazed at how much her speech has improved just in the last few weeks!  She is now putting several words together and forming sentences.  Though some things only Mommy can understand, most of it is pretty clear.  When we left South Carolina, I planned to re-enroll her in speech therapy as soon as we got settled here in Tennessee.  However, now I'm having second thoughts because I feel like she's finally starting to catch up, just like everyone told me she would.  
• Some of my favorite new things that she say..............
• "Whassat?"  (What's that?)  She says this a lot!  She's very inquisitive!  I'm constantly having to explain things to her, which I guess is a good thing.
• "Otay!" (Ok) Imagine Buckwheat from Little Rascals and that's EXACTLY how she says it!  It's so so cute!
•  "Oopsie Daisy!" She definitely picked this one up from me!
• "Doofie" (Goofy)  I think she loves Goofy as much as she loves Minnie now-a-days!
• "Top Part" (Pop Tart)  This one always makes me laugh! =)
• "Licious" (Delicious)  I almost died last week when she took one bite of her bologna sandwich, closed her eyes in delight and said "licious!" 
• "Mami?!"  (Mommy?!)  I really need to get this on video because there's truly no way to appreciate it until you've heard it for yourself.  If I leave the room and walk to another part of the house and she realizes I'm gone she will yell in a very loud voice "Mami?!"  She says it with this weird Hispanic/Italian/New Jersey accent that I can't even describe and puts the emphasis on the "mi" part.  She sounds like she belongs on the Jersey Shore as she runs through the house yelling "Mami?!"  "Maaami??!!"  Sometimes I'll hide from her just to hear her say it over and over again!  It's THAT funny!  And she ONLY turns on the accent in that situation.  It's so odd but so hysterical!
•  She can name and recognize all of her shapes and colors and many of her numbers and letters as well.  
• She can also identify and give correct sounds for pretty much any animal, whether it be from the farm or the zoo.  My favorite is "horsey" because she always says "naaayyyy" followed by an enthusiastic "yee haw". 
• She can count to 11 completely unassisted but when she gets to 11 she starts back over at 8 for some reason. 
• She knows her full name but pronounces it as "Nendall Hoos".  The Kyndall is hard to make out but the Hughes is very clear!
• She also knows mine and Matthew's first names and will gladly tell you if you ask her.
• I recently realized that she can tell our two dogs apart, which says a lot because they are both 5 pound white malti-poos that for the most part look pretty much alike.  She can accurately identify "Hu-bee" (Huckabee) and "Nam" (Cam)  Obviously, she has a hard time with the "C" and "K" sounds but we're working on that! 
• She recognizes the FSU Seminole logo and does the "chop" as soon as she sees it.  Love this! =)
• When she sees ANYTHING camo, she immediately shouts "G-Daddy!!"  Yep, that's about right.
• When looking at pictures she can identify and name the following family members on her own........
• Mommy
• Daddy
• "Delly" (Kelly)---Again, darn those K sounds!
• "My-uhl" (Michael)
• Nonie
• Poppie
• G-Daddy
• "Nammy" (Grammy)
• "Namma" (Grandma)
• "Nandaddy" (Granddaddy)
• MeMe
•  She recognizes the cross and when asked "Who was on the cross, Kyndall?"  She replies with "Jesus!!"  If you ask her where Jesus lives she points to her chest and says "heart!"  LOVE hearing her say this!
• She loves folding her hands, closing her eyes and saying prayers before each meal that we eat and every night before bed.  She keeps her eyes closed, her head bowed and her little hands neatly folded the entire time.  (Yes, I peek because it's just too precious to miss!)  Every night we gather as a  family in front of her crib and pray before laying her down for the night.  We pray for each of our family members by name (dogs included) and after we say amen she closes with "ta-da!"  I have no clue where she got this or why she does it but it's super cute and I guess it's her way of saying "all done!"
• It was a HAPPY day in this dental hygienist Mama's life about two months ago when she suddenly quit fighting me on brushing her teeth!  Hallelujah!!  It used to be a major ordeal every single night and I honestly dreaded it and occasionally skipped it all together to avoid a battle.  Now, not only does she willingly let me brush her teeth, but she has also started flossing them!  She saw me doing it recently and of course said "me do it!"  I gladly gave her a piece and although she's basically just licking the mint coating off the floss, at least it's getting her in the habit of including it in her routine.  Yay for good oral hygiene!  =)
• She has become so incredibly affectionate lately and I couldn't be happier about that!  Out of nowhere she will just grab ahold of my neck (or leg or arm or whatever is closest at the time) and give it a big squeeze, followed by "tiss?"  (Kiss?)  I relish in these moments and soak them up each and every time they happen.  Knowing that she's doing this unprompted and by her own will makes my heart melt even more.
• Minnie Mouse is still her number one girl and I think we have collected just about every single piece of Minnie paraphernalia that has ever been created.  She can spot the Minnie Mouse logo a mile away and when she does, you can bet that whatever it is, we'll be taking it home.  Just this week we started making plans for her first trip to Disney World in late November.  I'm not sure who is more excited---me, Kyndall or her entourage of EIGHT adults that will be tagging along to see her experience it for the first time!  Get ready Disney World, Minnie's biggest fan is on her way!  Hurry up November!!
• Kyndall is very emotional and extremely sensitive.  We very rarely have to use actual punishment to discipline her.  A harsh tone and a stern look will often bring her to tears.  It breaks my heart to realize how tender she is, but I'm glad that's all it takes to get her attention.  I think she'll be one of those children who benefit more from a firm talking to rather than physical consequences.  When she knows I'm upset with her she will often look me in the eye and say "Mommy sad?"  Just knowing that she has disappointed me is very concerning to her.  
• I am not ashamed to admit that anytime she sees a gas station she yells (with great excitement) "ICEE!!"  Yep, she's a product of her Mama for sure!
• Just recently she's started playing more independently and I'll often catch her using her imagination as she pretends to cook at her kitchen set, grocery shop with her dolls in the grocery cart, or take care of her babies.  I've even seen her turn her Minnie Mouse scooter over and put "gas" in it.  Hilarious!  
• She has been doing GREAT in her part-time pre-school program and she looks forward to it with great anticipation each week.  She is still a little confused and calls it "church" rather than "school" but I guess that's understandable since it's one in the same.  As I mentioned in a previous post, her current love interest is a little cutie pie in her class named Cruz.  Recently, she has started calling him "Cruzie" which I find hysterical.  Some mornings when it's hard to get her out of bed for school all I have to do is mention "Cruzie" and she suddenly comes alive!  When asked about Cruz, she tells us that he makes her "happy".  It's too much!  Again, another thing you just have to hear to believe!
• We haven't gotten very far in the potty training department, mostly because of my own laziness.  Occasionally I'll put her on the potty but she just sits there and giggles and has yet to actually DO anything.  I don't know why I'm putting it off but for some reason I'm just really intimidated by the whole process.  I've successfully house trained two five pound animals who are unable to verbally communicate, so surely I can train a 28 pound walking, talking human being with no problem!  Right??  Any tips/suggestions are welcome!!
• Some of her favorite things to do lately are play with "dough" (play-dough), stickers, puzzles, playing games on my iPhone, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (of course), playing outside (when it's not freezing), helping me do laundry and house work (score!), taking her nightly "swims" in my garden tub, Skyping with the Grandparents, reading books, going to the grocery store (only because of the free cookie), playing hide-and-seek with Daddy, tormenting playing with the dogs, and of course going to school.
• Her typical schedule on a non-school day looks something like this.........
• 9:00-10:00----Wakes up, eats breakfast
• 12:30-1:00----Lunch
• 2:00 until 5:00----Nap
• 6:30-7:00----Dinner, followed by bath
• 9:30-9:45----Bed
• On a school day (Tuesday/Thursday) it's like this.......
• 8:00----Wake up, get dressed
• 8:15----Breakfast
• 8:45----Leave for school
• 9:00 until 2:30----School 
• 3:00 until 5:00----Sometimes I will bring her home and make her nap, since she hasn't really gotten the hang of that at school just yet.  Other times I just keep her up and she goes to bed a little earlier that evening.  It all just depends on how the afternoon is going.
• 6:30----7:00----Dinner, bath
• 9:30----Bed (sometimes earlier)

I must say, I have yet to experience the "terrible twos" that I have so been dreading practically since the day she was born.  To me, this is a fun, exciting age and I'm enjoying it more and more each day.  I'm not saying she's perfect and that we don't have our moments of testing the limits because we definitely do.  But those are scattered few and far between the moments of hilarity, sweetness and amazement that I experience on a more regular basis.  She is truly becoming her own little person and we are enjoying watching as her vibrant personality develop.  Each new day brings its own challenges but its through those challenges that we ALL grow and learn. 

If I had to describe my Kyndall Anne in one word it would be JOY.  It doesn't matter how I'm feeling or what kind of day I've had, she is the one person who can always make my heart smile.  She constantly brings me more joy than I ever could've imagined.  Sometimes it's intentional on her part, but mostly it just comes naturally from being in her presence.  She's been given the gift of compassion and the heart of a servant.  Others notice it too.  No matter where we go people are constantly commenting on how friendly and outgoing and helpful she is.  She has yet to meet a stranger and she shares her love and affection with everyone.  I hope that as she continues to grow, so will her vivacious personality and her love of life.  If I could bottle up her infectious little giggle, her warm sweet smile and her humble spirit I would keep it forever and ever and ever and pour it out to share with everyone.  Goodness knows this world could use it!!!

I love you, KAH!  You are my greatest accomplishment and the thing I'm most proud of!  I can't wait to see what the next two and a half years bring!  I can't imagine it getting any better than it already is!

In the time it took me to compile this post, I managed to get a few of my favorite "tricks" mentioned above on video.  Not her best display of each act, but I think it still provides a good depiction of her cuteness.  I'll keep trying for more!  =)