Amanda Elaine Elizabeth

And now for Daughter #3, the sauciest of them all.

Amanda Elaine Elizabeth

Age: 2

DOB: 2/9/09

Favorite Color:  orange

Favorite Food:  If you can eat it, it's her favorite. 

Favorite Activity:  talking, talking back, following Mommy around the house, and playing dress up with Brooke

Favorite sport:  riding her scooter and her bike

Interests:  dogs, Uncle Chris, food, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Tinkerbell

How she chose her new name:  Another true story:  When the older children decided to pick new names, Amanda chimed in from the back seat of the van "I be 'MeenahMeenah'."  She was the first to decide her new name.  Now "MeenahMeenah," in Amanda-eese, is translated:  Miss Amanda.  From the first time that our Amanda met my lifelong friend Amanda Wright Stettler she has been obsessed with her.  Since that day in May she has called herself MeenahMeenah and she has called all of her baby dolls "Baby Abby," who is Amanda Wright Stettler's daughter.  Six months later our Amanda can actually say her name correctly but when she refers to Amanda Wright Stettler she still calls her MeenahMeenah.  She also still names all of her baby dolls Baby Abby.  We gave Amanda two middle names only because we couldn't decide on one.  Since Crystal chose two and Amanda Wright Stettler has two middle names, we decided to give our Amanda two.  Elaine is Jordan's mother's middle name and Elizabeth is my mom's middle name.  That's the story of our Amanda Elaine Elizabeth.

Amanda is our saucy child.  She is in time out 4-6 times per day not because she misbehaves but because she talks back or talks too saucy.  Each time she says something she's so funny about it, but unfortunately for her many of the times it's inappropriate.  She's something else.  Let me try to remember a few of her lines over the past few months:

- "Momma, if you don't stop fussin' at me I'm going to pop you in the mouth."

- "Grandpa, get over here right now (she's in my parent's bathroom and my dad is in the kitchen).  Grandpa, I said you get over here right now (he finally comes to her).  I'm pooping in your toilet, hahahaha."

- "Momma if you don't give me that you're going to be a Mean Witch."

- "Get away from me and shut the door, I'm so mad at you right now."

- "Does anybody have any broccoli around here, I'm starvin'."

- "Nobody can touch my dog or I'll shoot you with a shoot gun" (yes, shoot gun, not shot gun)

- As she's dancing in the living room she's shouting:  "Is there anyone more beautiful than myself"
- After I told Amanda she was so smart she replied:  "Jesus made me smart...and pretty too."

She really is a riot.  Thankfully her "timeout" area is a stool in the bathroom so I don't have to take her too far before I burst out laughing.

Amanda has an imagination at two years old that can rival that of any six year old.  Likely a result of her past, Amanda can entertain herself for hours at at time.  I'm not kidding.  Because of her age she mostly parallel plays instead of actually playing with other children (unless the older kids make her play with them!).  She can use one baby doll and pretend so much.  If she doesn't have what she needs, she just pretends.  You have to see it to believe it.  She's incredible.  She has a mind like Walt Disney in that way.  Because she entertains herself so well timeout is a real trick.  If she's left on the stool longer that a minute she'll pretend she has a dog or a baby and then pretend she's playing with it.  We've had to be real crafty with timeouts in order to make them effective.

One downside of Amanda entertaining herself so well is that while we were sorting through and addressing the more serious issues of the older children Amanda often was inadvertantly shoved to the side.  It seemed that the sqeaky wheels got the grease.  The older children required so much more time and attention and Amanda demanded nothing of us.  It wasn't until a few months after we had the children that Jordan and I realized that Amanda never came to us for affection or attention.  She sure loved it when we gave it to her but she never sought us out.  She didn't realize that adults were a source of love, affection, and attention.  We actually had to teach her this.  From that point on we made a conscious effort to give her extra undivided attention.  After only a week she caught on...and ever since then she hasn't left our side.

Amanda enjoys having me to herself while the big kids are at school.  She would really much rather help me fold laundry, fix beds, and make dinner than play with her toys.  Every morning she asks me "What are our chores today?"  She's a fast, attentive learner.  She can match socks, fold towels and rags, sort each of the children's clothes from another, stir pots of food, sort the silverware and dishes, and sweep the floor.  Her favorite thing to do is unload the dishwasher - I hope this lasts until she can actually reach the cupboards :)

Amanda loves her Uncle Chris.  She talks about him all the time and colors an endless supply of pictures for him (many of which I don't even send...shhh!).  When she's with him he's the one who has to bath her and dress her.  You should see his baby pictures.  He and Amanda nearly twins.  When the girls got their ears pierced she demanded that she sit on Uncle Chris's lap.



Amanda adores her Daddy.  She's the child who is most excited when he comes home from the field or from a day at work.  She always remembers to pray for him and she prays specifically for his situation.  This is one of my favorite prayers she said for him (give or take a few words):

"Dear God, Thank you that Daddy is done working in the rain in the field.  Thank you

that he can sleep in his comfy bed at Christmas time with Mommy and that he can eat

breakfast at our house.  Amen"

Amanda has a real heart for caring for others.  She always makes sure everyone has blankets and pillows when they are relaxing...even Brooke.  She gently will pat our backs and stroke our head while saying, "I love you, you are so pretty/handsome."  She always asks "Are you feeling happy?"  Amanda has a tender spirit and truly seems to enjoy seeing to other's needs. 

Conversely, Amanda is fiesty.  She does not like to be bossed around or told what to do.  She enjoys figuring things out for herself and typically has the patience to do so.  This ranges from coloring in the lines to dressing herself to doing a puzzle.  I enjoy seeing independence in this child and the pride that comes from achieving it.

Amanda may be a chef some day.  She LOVES food, all different foods.  She eats spicy foods, every raw vegetable, every cooked vegetable, fruits, meats, you name it, she'll eat it.  She takes eating very seriously.  She has really mastered the table manners we've been trying to teach and now will use both utensils so that she doesn't have to touch her food.  She remembers not to talk with her mouth full and will remind whoever is doing so that it isn't appropriate.  She remembers all the "good" food choices we've been teaching the children and will also holler at anyone who is making a bad food choice.  Embarassing at times, yes.  However, we're proud she's learning.

Amanda especially loves our dog, Brooke.  She calls Brooke "her baby" and always is with Brooke when we're in the house.  There is a mutual love between the two of them.  Amanda puts headbands and bows on the dog, lays on the dog, covers the dog with loads of blankets, sings to the dog, and even feeds the dog her breakfast.  They really are pals and it puts a smile in my heart to see this.

Amanda's just a sweetheart.  Aside from her saucy mouth, she really is a sweet, loving child.  I've really enjoyed having her home with me.  It has allowed me to really get to know her which wasn't so easy with the three big kids home.  She's got a smile and a pair of eyes that can melt your heart in an instant.  That sure has made disciplining her tougher but I can handle her!  She's my snuggler, my baby, my saucy, sweet, Amanda.  I'm really not looking forward to her turning three next month.  My baby is growing.