18 month fun

I know I've said this before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, but 18 months is such a fun age! Kate seems to be changing every single day.  By next week, some of these things will have passed, I'm sure, but for right now, here is a glimpse into our amazing little girl...

• she LOVES bubbles and coloring with sidewalk chalk
• she likes to push her baby in the baby stroller and go for rides in the wagon
• her favorite thing seems to be the construction equipment around our neighborhood.  she's always saying "beep, beep, walk"meaning that she wants to walk to go see the trucks working (they go beep beep whenever they back up)
• she wants to be outside ALL THE TIME and often cries when she has to come in
• she enjoys sitting on the couch
• she likes to identify things by whose they are.  for example, my pillow is 'mama' and Matt's is 'dada'.  same goes for shoes, cups, coats, chairs, etc.  it's very cute.
• when she's leaving a room, she either says, "see ya" or "bye" to let you know she's leaving you behind
• she likes to hold hands on walks
• when Matt asks her to snuggle, she puts her head on his shoulder/chest and smiles.  it doesn't last very long, but it's super sweet
• she's great at going up the stairs, but not down
• she likes to share her snacks and drinks with her baby dolls
• she loves to find the ducks and the geese at our neighborhood pond
• anytime we talk a walk, she tries to lure us towards the playground so she can swing.  i'm pretty sure she would swing all day long
• anyone who is mowing their lawn or using lawn equipment is 'dada' (so cute!)
• she likes ice cream and cake and everything chocolate...that sounds like someone else I know:)
• she is super friendly...on her terms.  she loves to say hi to other people (especially kids), but if you approach her and start talking to her, she might be really shy
• she still has 12 teeth (4 top front, 4 bottom front and 4 molars), and her I-teeth have yet to make their debut.  she's been working on them for a long time, but they just keep coming and going.  they cause her to lose a lot of sleep:(
• she is now sitting at the table to eat.  still in her high chair, but her food is on the table instead of the tray
• she calls most bugs flies and she stomps on ants
• she likes to clean things with a washcloth.  after I wipe her hands and face after a meal, she'll walk all around the room 'cleaning' things for me:)
• if other people are laughing (especially loudly), she joins in with a few 'ha ha's' of her own
• she loves to play on our bed and to 'fall' down on our pillows.  she also likes to jump on the bed and on the couch
• she's just getting into the stage where she likes to copy people...watch what you do when you're at our house!
• she still loves dogs
• when you ask her a question and she's looking for something (e.g. where is your baby?), she looks around and goes 'hmmm' with her pointer finger on her lips

We certainly have our share of screaming, running away, not sleeping, being a picky eater, and temper tantrums, but I try to forget about those.