Twenty-Five Months Old

Where does the time go? Our Gracie girl is growing up so quickly. Each day Grace continues to amaze us. Everything about Grace, from her outgoing personality to her deep love of learning, inspires me to be the best mother that I can be each to her each and every day. Here is the latest update about our Amazing Grace:

• Grace continues to love calendar time. She is able to set up the calendar by herself every morning and tell me the day of the week, month, number of the month, year, season, and weather.
• Grace can locate and name 24 states on the map of the United States and 25 countries on the World map.
• Grace is sounding out sounds in words and can read beginning words in her books (e.g., cat, dog, pat, hot, hat, etc.). Grace also attempts to sound out more challenging multisyllabic words with great accuracy. Grace can also name at least five words if you give her an intial sound (e.g., "Tell me all the words you know that begin with the "d" sound).
• Grace knows all of the authors of her books.
• Grace can identify the location and name the title, author's name, front cover, and back cover of her books.
• Grace enjoys listening to longer stories and she is able to retell stories once the book is finished.
• Grace continues to recite numerous nursery rhymes from beginning to end. She can recite the entire book of Little Mother Goose.
• Grace enjoys "project time" each day where an art, language, literacy, and/or science activity is targeted.
• Grace has become very independent and enjoys doing things by herself like feeding, preparing food, dressing, bathing, etc.
• Grace's language skills are amazing as is her memory of events, people, and facts. Grace talks about events that have occurred months ago and is able to tell us exact details about what happened. Grace does not forget anything! You can easily carry on long conversations with Grace.
• Grace is now beginning to swim independently using a barbell at her swimming lessons.
• Grace loves to sing and enjoys singing songs from beginning to end to anyone who will listen!
• Grace is the absolute best big sister to Jack. I am so proud of the way Grace has accepted Jack into our family. Grace is such a big helper to me and is extremely sweet and gentle toward Jack.
• Favorite things: learning, Ella, helping Mommy take care of Baby Jack, pretend play (kitchen/food play, doll play, pretending to take naps), sitting in her chair to read books, washing hands, people, olives, art activities, our cat, lotions, snow, playing board games, grocery shopping at Whole Foods, puzzles, swimming, music group, her Yoga Baby books, and phones.