Sweet and spicy

One of Kerry's more recent "developments" is that she's really started learning good manners in the last week or so. She says "excuse me" in the sweetest little voice if someone, or even something, is in her way. She says "please", and "thank you". And until recently if you offered her something like, say, a food, object, or activity that she didn't want, she would often respond with a vehement "NOOO!!! We've been working on that and I'm happy to report that she can now respond with a much nicer "No tank you" or just "no tanks" =). Sometimes she slips but all I have to do is give her the "Mommy look" and she usually corrects herself, after which I praise her, thoroughly. I love that she's a "spicy Jiangxi girl", and I want her to stay that way, but I also want her to have good manners and a respectful, polite attitude toward those around her. And I think that can, and should, be instilled early. Don't get me wrong, she can act like any typical two year old when she feels like it, but she really is as sweet as she is spicy, and I love her either way =).

On another note, I realized it's been a long time since I posted a list of Kerry's likes and dislikes...so I tought it was time. And I think it's another good way to document where she's at right now. You can see the first list that I posted while we were still in China getting to know our new daughter here.

Likes:

• Mommy and Daddy.
  
  
• Her "Baby Panda" and her robe, especially at naptime/bedtime.
  
  
• Going for walks.


• Crunchy type snacks.
  
  
• Any fruit juice.
  
  
• Chicken...well, any meat really. She's a little carnivore.
  
  
• Rice (any kind, plain, chinese, mexican...doesn't matter).
• jalapeno chee-to's (she likes most spicy food, in fact).
  
• Mama's berry/banana smoothies.
  
  
• her Grandparents.
  
  
• being tickled.
  
  
• bathtime.
  
  
• strawberry "mook" (milk).
  
  
• jumping on mommy and daddy's bed and playing hide and seek under the pillows.
  
  
• getting her nails painted, she insists on fingers AND toes and want's me to paint my nails, too.
  
  
• "clicking" her own seat buckles in the highchair, carseat, shopping cart..she gets upset if we try to help.
  
  
• learning new things. Which is why it's been so easy to teach her to recognize all of the basic shapes and colors by around 21 months and now almost all of the letters of the alphabet by sight.
  
  
• counting things. She can count to ten with no mistakes so I guess it's time to add some more numbers.
  
  
• music.
  
  
• dancing to music.
  
  
• collecting and/or arranging similar objects. And Lord help the person who messes up her little creations.
  
• her Lego's.
  
• hugs and kisses.
• Reading bed-time stories.
  
  

Dislikes:

fruit that isn't in juiced form.

• having dirty or sticky hands. She'll say "yuck" and ask for a "kee-nex".
  
• touching anything that feels "icky" in her book.

• getting anything in her shoes or sandals. Even the smallest bit of something gritty is enough to stop her in her tracks, holding her little foot up asking for it to be taken care of.

Up for debate:

• having her teeth brushed.
  
• staying in the church nursery without Mommy.

• going # 2 in the potty.
  
• dogs.

• going to sleep.

I'd like to thank Lisa for the tip on making my photos larger =) .