Cute vs. Not Cute

   Lately it seems as though Laura is either being incredibly cute or incredibly trying... not a lot in between.

Some of the cute stuff:

• We took her to the movies to see Brave, which, for anyone who doesn't know, is set in medieval Scotland, and at one point during the movie they start playing some Celtic-type music. Well, didn't Laura start busting a jig right in the middle of the theatre. Guess her Scottish roots were calling to her. ;)
• Last week I had a bulb syringe out that I was using for Rachel, which Laura was obviously fascinated by (as it wasn't a toy for her), but I let her explore it for a little while, and found her lifting up my shirt to "listen to my heart" via pumping the syringe in my belly button. 
• Whenever Laura is hungry, she tells me, "tummy rungle",whether or not her tummy is actually indeed rumbling (she learned this phrase from the Backyardigans).
• We went to tour a preschool in town this week and the lady who was showing us around asked Laura her name, to which she replied, "I'm Waura!" - and the woman even understood her! This was the first time I didn't have to translate, and it was very cute.
• I can't decide whether this is cute or not cute, but Laura has started saying, "AH AH AH" (as I say to her sometimes when I don't want her to do something), however, she pronounces it more like an evil laugh....
• Last weekend Laura's grandpa came for a visit (the one she was previously scared of), but she seems to finally have decided that he isn't scary, and proceeded to have the cutest little date with him, talking his ear off the whole time.
• Rachel's cute moment of the week: a near-laugh and several consecutive whole-face smiles after Mommy gives repeated exaggerated kisses. 

Not so cute:

• This past week it has been quite hot, and Laura is getting a bit of a rash from her diapers, so I've been letting her go diaper-free a lot. She is pretty close to ready for training, anyway. We did a stint a few months ago to let her learn the feeling of when to go, so she already knows that, however she still chooses not to use the potty. This week I put her in a time out in her crib for something (without her diaper - a risky move, I know) and shortly after she called me up saying she had "peed on Baby Dumbo". I prepared myself for the worst as I went in the room (think a giant flood of urine all over the crib and floor), but when I came in there were about 4 drops of pee, all concentrated to one stuffed animal. Clearly she just pulled this to get out of her time out. She also pooped on Josh's kitchen chair one morning, too. I swear, we are making progress, though! 
• Remember when I mentioned recently that Laura was such a sweet little girl, and how even strangers were commenting on her lovely disposition? Well... I think that phase is over. We have now come to the "MINE!" phase, and I'm sure the "NO!" phase is right on its heels. She also threw a rock at the little neighbour girl yesterday while we were swimming (it didn't hit her, but I'm pretty sure it was deliberate on Laura's part). Sigh. Two-year-olds are such a rollercoaster. 
• She has also developed this terrifying litte habit of taking off. This week we were visiting a friend, and when we were leaving, I was walking with both girls out to the car, and opened the door to put Rachel in her seat (not buckle her in, just put her down so I could strap Laura in first), and in the less than ten seconds it took me to put Rachel down, I went around the car to the other side to put Laura in, and she was GONE. Completely-out-of-sight gone. My friend came out of her house to help me look for Laura, and we found her about a minute later, but my heart was lodged in my throat the whole time.
• Rachel's not-so-cute moment of the week: Screaming bloody murder when all her well-meaning mother was trying to do was allow her to enjoy the loveliness that is swimming in the cooler-than-bath-water lake when its 35 degrees outside. Geez.

I guess there are more cute behaviours than not cute, so it wins... for now.