2 year old tantrums..... no translation needed

We're still getting to know each other.  Harper makes us laugh every day and we are still completely in awe of her.  It seems like we see her do something new each day.  

Since she loves to draw, we showed her the blank canvas of the driveway.  A friend of ours gave her some brand spankin' new chalk and she didn't waste anytime diving head first into her work.... sometimes, literally.  

 Her favorite thing to do was smack her hands in the chalk and then leave handprints all over the place.

All. Over.

By the time we got her back inside, her Ranger outfit no longer looked blue.

We're also still trying to get her schedule down, but it's hard when we're always running around with her two older brothers to their activities.  During the day, I'm trying to get a regular nap time, but we've had appointments that have disrupted that.  One day we'll have it down..... we hope!

Since nap time has been so elusive, she and I have been spending a lot of time at the park.  She loves it.  She loves the slide, even though she likes to go up it instead of down, and also loves the swings.

She is also very infatuated with the bark that is all around the playground.  Who knew that would be such a source of cheap entertainment!

 On the way back from the park the other day, we stopped and talked to a few friends in the 'hood.  Friends that we hope to make many play dates with in the near future.  Harper seemed to really have fun with them..... even wanted to try on their shoes!

Sunday night I really wanted Chinese food.  Crazy, I know, since we just got home from eating it for two weeks straight.  The rest of the family really wasn't up for it, but I won out!  Of course, Harper was on my side.  If she could have crawled inside the bowl of fried rice, I think she would have!

 It was like she was meeting an old friend again!  

Monday, I took the boys to their pulmonologist for a check up.   I had to update our records, which meant I was doing so with.... a pen.

Watch out people.

I swear pens are like magnets to Harper.  She was playing with a puzzle, and she just happened to look up a split second to see the highly coveted object in my hand.

I saw her look at me, and in the next split second she was scrambling to get to me.  As she was doing so, I was QUICKLY trying to get all the info written down before she reached me. 

Too late.  

She was grabbing and swatting my hand, and I was doing all I could to keep one step ahead of her and keep the pen out of her reach.  

Finally she realized she wasn't getting it..... and LOST. HER. MIND.

With her now well known high pitched piercing scream, she let loose and no one was able to continue their conversations in the waiting room..... or down the hall, or the next several floors up or down for that matter.

All eyes were on us.  

This 2 year old was giving a stellar 2 year old tantrum, and we didn't need a translator to know what she was mad about.  

After what I swear was an hour, ok maybe more like 5 minutes,  she piped it down a little.  She was still not ready to admit defeat, and was whimpering a little.  

Then, just like that, she was laughing at something on the tv.  It was like a switch went off and she had forgotten all about it.  It was like she was saying to me "See.... I was just playing you.  Just wanted to make a fool out of you ".  I was worn out - and sweating - from the whole ordeal, but was glad it was over.  And finally..... we were called back to the exam room.  

Finally.

  

She was so intrigued with everything the doctor was doing.  She watched as the doctor listened to their lungs, and with each 'deep breath' Griff let out, she let out a deep breath as well.  Let's hope she's this interested when we take her for her first doctor's appointment on Thursday!

Moving on....

We've noticed she likes to stick little pieces of tissue in her ear.  Not sure why, or how this started, but every now and again we'll look over and she's stuck a piece in her ear.  

Just happened to get it on video this afternoon.....

And finally.....

Today she had her first photo shoot.  One of my very best friends, and road trip partner in crime, had a  shoot scheduled today in the bluebonnets.  She called us up to see if we wanted to get Harper's picture taken in the bluebonnets as well.  Of course we would!!  We wasted no time in getting her dolled up and camera ready.  

A little side note - one of the updates we got from the orphanage about Harper, said she was shy and did not like to have her picture taken.  Well, I'm not sure what kid they gave us, because she was totally hamming it up for Mary and was not shy with her at all.