Well let's just say that the holidays came and went faster than the speed of light and all of a sudden you are 2 months older. 2 years , 4 months... is that for real???? When I hear parents say everyday, "it was like yesterday my kids were that age and now they are in college, it goes so fast." I am starting to realize it just happens, life just happens, whether we are ready for it or not...Having children makes life that much more meaningful and that much more fulfilling and also makes it go so much faster. I seem to look in the rear view mirror a lot in life and now when I actually look into it, there are 2 little people smiling back at me. Honestly when did that happen? Life, lessons, experiences just continue to happen and so much happens in such a short period of time that sometimes when you blink you have already missed so much. The holidays were truly gone in the blink of an eye and they were very special. This was all in part to all the family we shared our time with. Let me not forget to mention Halloween if I haven't already. This year you and Charli dressed up as Strawberry Shortcake and Blueberry muffin, I am biased but let's be real, there was nobody cuter. We went to so many Halloween parties and trick or treating events and in the middle of it, the CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES! Yes it happened in your lifetime and MINE!!!!! Daddy went to the world series and that is a story that will live in infamy. I asked him to bring a back a story for the ages and he did.... I can't wait until you and Charli are old enough to understand just how amazing Dad's story is! I spent that game watching with you and Charli, Reilly, and River. What a perfect night if ever there was one. The game didn't end until after mid-night! the fireworks in our neighborhood had River trying to crawl in to bed with me :) Sometimes I wish we could replay days of our life and that would be one of them for so many personal reasons. I took a picture of my 2 angels when they won, both asleep in peaceful dreaming... as I, filled with emotion, found my heart swollen with happiness. GO CUBS GO! It is hard to imagine that was not so long ago and in in that time you have changed so much. After the Cubs won November seems to be a blur of what do we do next. We had so many parties to go to and people to see and with wrestling in full swing life just happened. In that time you just continued to grow, with vocab, sentence structure, emphasis of emotion on certain syllables or words and facial expressions-so many huge leaps. Danica quite the vocalist as well with your little lisp and love of classics, "Take me out to the ball game" as well as "go cubs ago" and many other holiday tunes are you favorites. I have to say, "Jingle Bells" would be a fav of mine or as you sing, "Jing my bells." Both you and Charli have these made for TV/Movies voices and it takes the level of cuteness off any chart. I am super impressed with your ability to count and even tell time- well your ability to say times I should mention.
The night before Thanksgiving we had Cousins from my side, Mark, Kathleen and Riley and their extended family Mick, Colleen, Maggie and Molly all over at our new home. With Eric and Grandma in the mix this made for a home full of laughter, loud voices, and plenty of love. It was truly a special night and I hope we can continue this tradition. Thanksgiving was a low key day with a fabulous feast prepared by Grandma and the usual football games, but sadly the last holiday we would spend with River. It will be one of the most special holidays in my heart as it was all of us together in our new home and even more special because you were your own little person that was able to contribute to the celebration. I am so thankful for all of you. I am so blessed. I want all of you to know that each day my life is lived for you and because of all of you. May River rest with the angels in the heaven and be a special star to guide us in the sky. We love you Big Riv, so thankful you came in to our lives and were blessed to have that time with you. We miss you so much buddy...
If you can believe we had a housewarming the day after Thanksgiving and I think had close to 100 people come through our new home. Friends, family, so many people to spend time with, share some laughs, and warm up the holidays. There were so many kids that came over it looked like a kindergarten classroom. How fun for you and Charli to have so many friends to play with! I would like to make that a tradition as well. There is nothing like a house party for the holidays full of families.
As we move forward towards Christmas you continued to grow like a sponge absorbing everything around you. Every day I pick you up you have a full on conversation telling me all the kids that were at Kathy's that day. You also like to tattle on others and then get yourself in time-out as the adventurous side or defiant side of you has grown, I didn't think that was possible, it shouldn't be possible, but is was. BUSY BUSY BUSY....non-stop all the time. As girly as they come with a Bam Bam approach. The cutest little lisp and so much to say all the time. A complete follower of Charli and as independent as they come with the sweetest soft side. With your hair growing longer and a little curlflip at the end, your perfectly round blue eyes, and these insanely adorable legs I want to eat you up. Your front teeth have a little gap and I think that makes your smile impossible to not smile back at. You can make so many faces and you are so good at keeping a straight face. It's almost amazing how stone cold you can go and just how you assess people and make sure not to trust anyone. I think that is an amazing trait to be able to assess your surroundings and those in them and make sure that you feel secure before showing any vulnerability. Without a doubt you light up a room because your sense of humor is undeniable. It's just plain awesome and it makes everything better.
I have to mention a quick thing that happened at a co-worker Miss Jen's Christmas party where the real Santa came. Little Zoe cam upstairs crying and had a big scratch down her chest to which was hysterical, "Danica scratched me." I ran to where you and Charli were coloring and asked Charli what happened, she replied, "I didn't see anything." I said Charli, Santa is upstairs and know what is going on- did Danica scratch Zoe? To which once again straight faced Charli replied. "it might have happened." My two mobsters, thick as thieves. This is what I am dealing with, the one who does it and the one who covers it up. To get to the bottom of the story, Zoe tried to take Danica's crayon and she scratched her. Danica went to time out. Next Danica colored the wall and with that the Collins girls headed home. LOL Oh the trouble makers we are, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
We spent Christmas at home this year and boy did we party. We had such a great holiday. A few weeks before Christmas Aunt Ter brought over a snowman kit and it just so happened that it was a magical snow that day. It was an almost perfect day if there ever was one. We made the most unforgettable snowman and we captured all the moments together as a family and even made it our Christmas card- it was pure magic. However, just like sand you HATED the snow and that made for the most memorable of pictures. I couldn't help but laugh- you are just something else I mean seriously you have to be around you to describe it. I just sit in awe smiling.
Every night of December you and Charli would eat your advent chocolate, Charli made sure we didn't forget! It was a great sugar high countdown to Christmas. We decorated the Christmas tree together, we put up our lights, Elf came! We made Christmas lists and sent them to Santa and Santa even called you and Charli and made you videos!!!! How awesome! We had all kinds of family over on Christmas Eve, that was so special. You and Charli had so much fun with Aunts and Uncle and cousins OH MY! No wonder when it came to Christmas morning there was no early to rise...for anyone :)
On Christmas Eve we had so much fun from our own personal entertainer, Eric, the lounge singer, singing "Chestnuts on an open fire" over and over and over again on your new karaoke machine, to a Conga line started by Terry and Tami, to a reindeer toss game. Yes, blown up antlers that one person puts on their head while the rest of us throw blown up rings at and on the antlers. I hate to admit it but you wore the antlers and loved it. It was so much fun. Have I mentioned the snow ball fight on the front yard where Uncle Neil lost his glasses that were recovered days later??? :) It was really awesome. What a wonderful Christmas Eve.
Christmas was really special to all be together in our new house as a family planning for the vacation ahead. With the way winter break fell we were off from school and on to Christmas in one day. It was so exciting knowing we would have 2 solid weeks together as a family. By Christmas you had already begun potty training yourself, brushing your own teeth, and doing your own make-up. The amount of times you change your clothes a day has officially beat Charli's record and let me say it is not just clothes but shoes too! You can only imagine the amount of laundry I do, and just when I think things are put away I am mistaken. Music and dancing are some things that comes natural to you, you really love a good beat. Watching you do what Charli does is awesome too. When I pick you up from Kathy's and you put Charli's leotard over your clothes is hilarious. Then we you show us how you think you are doing gymnastics like Charli and how proud you are, it is so sweet. Let me tell you- your somersaults are on point and I cannot wait for you to get back in gymnastics. You have so much fun with your friends at Kathy's and she let's you know you are her favorite, I mean how could you not be?? You are just so silly and so unbelievably cute! It is so fun picking up you each day and for you to ramble all about your friends, what you did, and then sing songs, I can understand about 70% of it, I LOVE IT.
Now back to the events of break: After the excitement of opening all your gifts you had one favorite gift that you asked Santa for and that was a "furreal friends" Kitty who is like having a real cat. You loved your kitty day one but in the past couple weeks I hear you telling your kitty, " No," more than playing with it. Sometimes I think Santa only needs to rewrap things we already have, but that's okay, Santa made sure to get you everything on your list. (You have the BEST Santa and Santa's assistant by the way).This included a trip to sunny Florida and time to play with Logan, Kensie, and Tate. It was there that you developed your first crush on Tate and so it goes....
We had such an awesome trip the weather was great and get this- YOU LOVED THE SAND. What a turnaround from last year, you were running in the sand, picking up the sand, playing in the sand, and even in the ocean! You would run from the waves, then run back in, the waves were up to your waist and you loved it. You and Charli both went shelling, played in the sand, it was a blessing for the future to know we can actually vacation on a beach. Now don't get me wrong the pool is still number one but now we can enjoy both without you crying and clinging to us for dear life. When you first got in the pool this time there was a little fear but within minutes you were leaping, diving, jumping fully extended out into the water and into anyone's arms that would catch you- mostly Daddy's. You would spend the whole day in there with Charli if we let you. It was just awesome to see how much fun you were having in the water. My little fishes, love it. You'd hold on the side an put your face in and hold your breath. You were teaching yourself your own life saving skills. I can't even begin to tell you the mental and physical strength you possess at age 2- it is incredible and almost unbelievable.
I'd say for the entire trip you were so well behaved and had so much fun. You are really starting to understand boundaries. Let me say for the record you have really never sat in a high chair, you still have your woobie, and you have not fallen asleep in your bed without us. Just saying loved or spoiled your pick. Either way you are a well-adjusted and amazing as a toddler can be. We had a successful airplane trip where you remained in our row and did not cry but on the way home we had to use the air sickness bag and a garbage bag-- too much pool water Daddy thinks. You made the whole plane laugh playing with a boy in the row in front of us. You would just keep repeating everything he said and it was so funny. Like I keep saying you are just a really funny girl. The week of Christmas Charli had her recital and I thought that Dad and I could each have a duty of either pictures or video but we realized that you are a duty in its own so Dad made sure you didn't destroy anything in the church, I was sure the baptismal candle was going down!!!
Here we are in 2017. You are 2 years 4 months old. You are doing amazing things knowing your ABC's, knowing how to count. Singing songs, dancing, exploring your psychomotor capabilities. Exploring all boundaries, pushing the envelope, doing all things little sisters should be doing. You show compassion, you understand logic, you are a very bright and kind little girl. I love you very much. I am proud to be your Mom. I am excited for what each day brings, From the messes you will make, to the lipstick you will have all over your face and eyes. For you to tell me "oh pretty nails," or "oh I like it." I love when you show off the outfits you put on with a "Ta- Dah." You are so proud of yourself and so sure of yourself, I love the independence and self-esteem. It is something I can only hope will continue to grow and stay with you for your whole life. It makes you who you are with a great big sense of humor. You are terrific little girl one, who is such a big girl but really still my little baby. We love you so much honey, I can't wait for it to warm up and get back outside to play. But in the meantime I am looking forward to every day we have until then and always. Kisses baby Danca (as you would say), love you.
