Mary Martin Thornton age two

Mary Martin right before her second birthday

On the occasion of Mary Martin's second birthday, I thought I would devote a post to her.  Here are some of her recent quirks and things that make her just adorable. 

Mary Martin at six months

She will proudly count all the way to ten.  EXCEPT for seven.  For some reason, she skips seven everytime.  Five, six, eight...  I don't know what the problem with seven is.

She loves to dance.  Put on music and she will start jamming away.  She dances on the subway when the accordian players come on to play for money.  One of my fondest memories of our recent trip to London will be dancing with her in a busy crowded square to traditional American blues music being played by a London musician.  She loved it and the musician kept talking about how beautiful she was...  Here is a brief video of some dancing... 

She also loves to "read."  Lately, Mary Martin will "read" along with me while I am reading a book.  Or she will hold a book her self and read along.  She will just say "blah, blee, blop" etc.  You can hear in the video below. 

The potty training is going very well.  Soon I will be confident enough to let her go out without a pull up on.  Though I am sure we will wear a diaper at night for many more months, we wear underwear at home all the time now.

When Mary Martin falls behind us, walking home, for example, and I tell her to come on and catch up, she starts to run and says, "I'm coming, I'm coming."  Except when she says it sounds like "I humming, I humming." 

She continues to be frustrated at the limits we put on her but not on James.  She has thought for a long time now that if James can do it, so can I.  The "big kid" playground equipment at the parks is a perfect example.  No, Mary Martin, you cannot climb the rope ladder to slide down.  James can barely do it himself.  No difference to her.

She still loves fruit and especially loves the cataloupe-type melon we can get here.  They are smaller than cantaloupes, about the size of a large grapefruit.  But, if I let her she will eat half of one in one sitting.  She is much less picky about food than James and will ask to have a bite of anything Jim and I are eating.  Some nights I don't make her a hot dog or chicken like James and just let her eat what we are eating. 

When she says please in French, it sounds like "super play."

Currently she sleeps with her stuffed lamby, a stuffed panda, a stuffed Monsters Inc Sullivan and her blanky. 

She has shown her independence lately and will let her voice be heard.  On the whole, though, she and James are very sweet to each other.  And usually sweet to Mommy. 

She still gives great hugs and reminds me when it is time to hug lamby or panda as well. 

She loves going to the grocery store with me just so she can pull my hand cart behind her.  On the way to the grocery when it is still empty, I let her pull it by herself.  She is so proud.  On the way home, I have to help her but she wants to have a hand on the hand cart the entire walk home. 

She is getting very picky about her clothes and matching shoes and matching bows. Jim thinks this is hilarious. She wants to pick out her shoes and her bows to go with her outfit. She also loves jewelry. So Jim and I got her a package of silly bands for her birthday. She loved them! We bought her some Wellie boots in London that she will need in the fall during snow days. She was so proud she wore them right out of Harrods onto the streets of London. Here she is the cab in London wearing her Wellies.

She continues to amaze me everyday.  We love you little girl!