Two and a Half We just got back today from 5 nights in Parksville. It was lovely, and I will write more about it later. For now, though, I wanted to talk about my girl. This past Sunday marked the day when Hannah was exactly two and a half years old. So, what's she like at this age? Hannah is a dynamo, a force of nature. She runs a lot, screams a lot (in joy and sorrow), and generally doesn't stay in one spot. She loves other children, animals, and music. She likes to dance and climb and is fearless on the playground. Higher, faster, and more challenging are the rules of the day. Compared to 6 months ago Hannah's verbal skills have taken off. She uses complex sentences, recites nursery rhymes, and relays stories (often about events that occurred weeks or even months in the past). We now face the disconcerting challenge of answering awkward questions in public, as her words are intelligible to strangers, even while her social skills remain highly primitive. We've passed the usual milestones. Hannah has all her baby teeth now. She's nearly toilet trained, and remains dry most days. She can open jars and tupperware containers, undress herself, and can even put on many garments on her own. She's still on the small side, but we see her growing all the time. Our little girl is not a baby anymore, and is zooming headlong out of toddlerhood. I'm still struggling to hold on and