Lucy is 2! She can BM and urinate in the potty. She sings the abcd's, counts to 11 in English, 3 in Spanish, and knows so many songs in both languages that I can't even count them. Lucy Guy's language development is incredible. She is speaking in full sentences, saying multiple complete thoughts at a time. I am in awe of her. Some of my favorite phrases include, "maybe later," "walk away!" "stop!" and "move your face!" She woke me up this week kissing me on the cheeks saying, "I kiss your face, mommy guy." She is using plurals, verbs, and adjectives. She knows a litany of opposites, including big and little, stop and go, forward and backward, and up and down. The world of imaginary play is opening up to us and her little, tiny "Lucy" frog (all little things are named Lucy) asked me (in her voice) if she could read books with Lucy and I before nap. She will do ANYTHING if one of her puppets, stuffed animals, or reindeer slippers ask her to (even if she told me no and all I do is dance the slipper in front of her and say the same thing in a "reindeer" voice. Toddlers.)
In one of my most proud mom guy moments so far, she let go of Jim's hand in the middle of the crosswalk the other evening, looked back at the car that was waiting for us to cross and said/signed, "thank you! See ya later!" I melted all over the sidewalk. She is a darling and sweet young lady, even if she does love to bite me.
Lulabean's inquisition is unending. It makes for some slow-going it most cases, but both of us do our best to let her lead the way at her pace as often as possible. The more we let her call the shots, the more willing she is to follow our directions when necessary. The only significant power struggle we are currently having is sitting down in the car seat. She wants to stand up and talk to whoever is in the driver seat for half an hour and it makes me crazy. We can legally turn her car seat forwarding facing now, but the odds are in our favor if we leave it back facing. It may help to turn it around soon. Chances are I can ride up front a whole lot more if we do that, anyway.
The semester has come to close. Thank goodness. This semester chewed me up and spit me out. Many years ago I told Jim and Jeb that I wanted school to challenge me, just once. Lesson learned. Be careful what you wish for. I don't think I have ever learned so much new information, been so challenged in my thinking, or read and wrote that much in a four month period ever before in my life. I am hellbent on turning my first position paper in to my adviser at SFSU by Christmas Eve. The plight of graduate students is that the writing is never done. It may be sufficient, you may turn it in, but it is never complete. I have one week to go and then I will feel some relief. The feedback can be awful. I just want to turn it in. Next semester should be easier time management wise. I am only taking 2 courses (I hope) and a research group and tutoring. Crap. It is going to be intense again. But hopefully I will have my second and third position papers in the works. As long as there is forward progress I will solider on. And as long as my husband agrees to remain married to me, because this would be nearly impossible without his support. I had two pretty low weeks toward the end of the semester. Then I reorganized our entire apartment, cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, and turned in my fourth and final final. So now I am feeling a bit better.
This past Sunday, her real birthday day day, we spent the day all together and went to the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Besides Lucy wanting to be able to touch everything and not being able to, it was a great morning. We sprung for a family membership and hope to spend a few more outings there throughout the year. We didn't get her anything for a physical gift, but decided to carry on the tradition we started with our nieces of having an "experience" for special occasions in lieu of wrapped gifts. I made her a greek yogurt with honey and freeze dried fruit "ice cream" cake covered in candles, which she loved. We sang happy birthday to her all day (and to many other people that she wanted to celebrate), facetimed with family, and opened gifts that came in the mail. It was a wonderful day of celebrating and I am grateful to have spent the entire day together. Having a 
A few weeks before Lucy's real birthday, we had a small birthday party to celebrate her second rotation around the sun. Jim and I won a private music class at the Nia House silent auction and used it to celebrate her second rotation around the sun. My family from Stockton came and a few of our little neighbor friends. We had a wonderful time. Everything went smoothly and it actually calmed my end of the semester nerves to plan and execute a gathering. It wasn't as fancy and over the top as my parties once were, but it was nice and fun and low-stress. Lucy seemed to have a great time and that was my ultimate goal. She got a piano from the Hosker family and loves to play it and sing abcd's, a tisket a tasket, twinkle twinkle, or row, row, row your boat. I am glad we did something to celebrate and it was nice to do it in advance of her actual birthday.
