What Molly is up to...

I haven't provided much of an update about Molly in a while, so I thought I should let you know what she is doing.  She does not have many words, but she is quite capable of making you understand what she wants.  For example, if she wants a drink, she goes to the little cupboard where I keep the kids' cups and plates, grabs a sippy cup and brings it to you.  If she wants milk (which she does know the sign for, but rarely uses) she will stand next to the fridge.  If she wants water, she will stand next to the sink.  When she wants something to eat, she will bring me a bowl or a plate and then promptly sit at the kids table.  I hold up various snack foods and she emphatically shakes her head or nods to indicate exactly what food she is hungry for.  Speaking of signs, she has "please" and "more" down, though she will hold out on "please" unless chocolate is involved.  At which point, she can't get her hand moving fast enough.  "Thank you" will also be used from time to time with the words "Bap bap".

She likes to help put things away.  So much so, that she will make a mess just to help you pick up.  I found this out this morning after giving her a bowl of Kix.  Did you know they make a fun crunch noise when you step on them?  Molly does!

 She likes to help load and unload laundry.  The buttons on our washer are just slightly in her reach and luckily have a child lock feature, otherwise I'd be doing several loads of laundry (clean or dirty would be an unimportant characteristic) a day.  As I fold laundry, she will hand me items of clothing, which would be a great help, except she hands them to me quicker than I can fold, and has minimal patience for my slowness.  When she gets bored with that, she likes to pull my shoes out from the closet.  Lately she has taken a shine to my red high heel sandals.  She never puts them on, but she will carry them around.  Speaking of shoes, when she is dressed, she will find her shoes, bring them to me, and then plop down and wait for me to put them on.

Molly loves all of us.  She will give all of us hugs and it is very important that Eric makes sure to say good bye to Molly before he leaves.  She chases him to the door waving her hand and gives him a big hug. A couple of times he left without performing his part in this ritual and she cried at the door until he came back.  And then she was perfectly content to get back to her other important work of moving toys from the toy box to the living room or vice versa.

Her recent achievements are learning how to crawl down the stairs and how to climb the ladder into the top bunk.  Yup.  I normally put her in her crib during my showers, but this particular day Dom said he would play with her and would shut the door to their room.  I got out of the shower to the sounds of cries which turned to giggles when I rushed into the room and saw all three kids on the top bunk.  Dom had a tight grip on Molly, which was the cause of the cries.  Needless to say, she no longer gets to spend my shower uncontained, though she has made more than a few visits to the top bunk.

Molly is both a source of delight and irritation as most 16-month-olds can be.  She is unquestionably adorable with her curls and bright eyes.  She loves to laugh and snuggle.  One of my favorite times with her is right after her naps when she is just waking up.  She just cuddles in for a bit.  Of course, the magic ends pretty quickly when I dare to put her down before she is ready.  Though a graham cracker and a cup of milk tends to fill the huge hole I left by my unfeeling action.

 After 15 months of observing me read to the boys, she has decided she wants in on the fun.  If she finds me sitting on the floor (straightening something up, doing exercises, working on a puzzle, or just resting, it doesn't matter to Molly), she will grab a book and sit down in my lap.  She even has some favorites and will imitate the sounds I make as I read.  (i.e. Quack Quack!  Woof Woof!).

As to the irritating part, she is incredibly persistent.  It doesn't matter how many times you attempt to block her from leaving the pew at church, if she wants out, she is going to get out or cause a scene trying.  Luckily, strangers at the end will sometimes slow down her movement, but way too many people leave church after Communion in my opinion!!  Don't they know I have a kid I'm trying to teach how to stay put?  She also likes to test me by constantly going behind the librarian's desk at the library.  They all know her from us being there at least once a week if not more, but she knows she isn't suppose to be back there, so she'll walk to the edge and turn to see what I'm going to do.  With that look in her eyes...you know the one.  Which makes me a little scared about when she gets to be 16 years old.  But, also very excited to see what all she will be capable of, this fearless girl of ours.