Talking Rascal!

I love Marissa. She is really starting to talk a lot. This is the point where I feel like kids are finally becoming real people and you get to see their personality more. One of my favorite phrases of hers is "What did you SAY??" This might be better as a video clip, but it cracks me up when I ask her to do something and this is her response (with a really loud SAY?). And she knows she's being funny. Whenever you ask her what she's doing (like when she's on the table coloring on my laptop or sitting on the stove) she says, "Just, doing." So hard to get mad at that. When you tell her it's time for bed she says, "NooooooooooPE!" Other common phrases are "Open it, can you mommy?" or "Buckle me, can you mommy?" The other day she woke me up with, "Hi mommy, how are you?" as she leaned down toward my face.

If a word ends with a consonant, she has to repeat it a few times for good measure, sometimes up to 8 or 9 times. Like "read a book.. k.. k.. k.. k.." or "booster seat.. t.. t.. t.." You get the idea. Not sure why she does this, but it's funny. Most people don't pick up on it because it's so quiet, but believe you me, she finished the word.. d.. d..

She loves headbands and usually has at least one or two on, or more (but never wears them when you want her to). Here's another scrapbook page about it.
Another new obsession is swimsuits. I've kept all of them together in a drawer in the bathroom, because that's where they dry anyway, and she recently found them. Yesterday she came to me over and over again with different suits saying, "Swimming pool on, can you mommy?" And she wanted them on top of the other one she already had on. Yesterday she ended up looking a little chunky with six on at once. Silly kid! I really need to move those.

These went over the pajamas

This time she got the other kids involved too. Erin's is a little immodest because it is mine (meaning it doesn't cover her) and inside out (meaning you can see the bra). This was the only suitable blog picture of her. Poor Alex. He thinks nothing of putting on girls swimsuits for the sake of a game. Blackmail pics?

Marissa is definitely a rascal and a crazy baby, and we often make her repeat that, "I am a crazy baby." She is always on the table or counter, usually playing with the sharp knives with the toaster popped down, and she loves saying "Look at me!" as she's teeters with one foot on the window sill and the other on the bed frame. If we don't keep the bathroom door closed she will either play in the toilet (she still likes that!), empty out everything under the sink, or get in the sink while throwing all the contents of the medicine cabinet on the floor, playing with lip gloss or turning on the water with her clothes on. Rascal! She's my first child that I worry about running out the front door and straight into the street, possibly because the other kids open the door letting her out, but also just because she is a rascal!

Two of her favorite things to do: sit in the sink and complete the circuit (left thumb in mouth and right finger on belly button) She looks sooo innocent.

She is brave too. I was watching her do some crazy stunts at the park the other day. Then it dawned on me that I would have been so nervous about Erin trying those same things at that age. I think it's a combination of her being the third child, amounting to way less supervision, and being a dare devil, which Erin never was.

Speaking of less supervision, this is what happened when we told her to go get something on her own in the kitchen. Yogurt all over the wall, table, chair, face and hair. She ran to the door, sat down and said "cheese.. s.. s.. s.." when we took her picture. I sure love this child that keeps me so busy, and smiling!