Miss Independent

Her code name still fits her so, so well!  She really wants to be in control of everything, and that can make things very nice because she can do so much on her own.  It can also make things tough because she does what  she wants to do if a parent isn't looking, and she doesn't care if it is dangerous or messy or mean.  She is a leader of all the toddlers, and they love to do what she does and play how she instructs.

She adores Wee One but has to be watched because she will be rough with little ones when no one is looking.  She tries to comfort the other kids when they cry but sometimes also tries to make them cry. She loves getting visits with her family, feeling so important when she goes and comes back.

She is definitely a smart little girl.  She is 2.5 and has been with us for 6 months.  She has gotten really good at puzzles.  In fact, it's time for me to go buy new ones because she can do all the ones I have too easily.  She can sing her alphabet, count, and knows her colors.  She has great fine motor skills, too, and gets detailed with her little drawings. She loves story time and singing time.  She is ridiculously observant.  She watches everything closely and can figure out how to do it on her own in no time.  Again, this is a great trait to have in the long run but sometimes a little dangerous for a 2-year-old.

She still loves to be held, especially when she can sit on your lap and suck her thumb and just watch what is going on around her  She isn't as desperate to be held as she was the first few months in our care.  She actually tried to play with an older girl at homeschool co-op yesterday, which is big for her. She is petrified of large, social situations, and usually just wants held or will make a scene to show her displeasure.  Her social worker still doesn't know that she can really talk and interact because she would rather bite her lip (literally) in her presence than talk and act in her normal way.  I tell you, she knows what she can control, and she does a good job of exercising that right!