WHAT ?!

Okay, my two year-old is out of control. The situation just now went like this....

She just finished dinner an hour ago. As I sit here reading, she looked at me with sad puppy dog eyes and says rather sheepishly, "I need a snack mommy."

"No way," I said, "you just ate."

....and SHE says...."Yes way, Mommy!" and walked off, with the last word!

What??! Is she from "the valley" or something? I just gaped at her response and realized that I have a "mini-me" around here...oh boy! She is SO stinkin' cute, I can hardly take it; but, she is so strong-willed that she gives even ME a challenge :) Today at the store I was about to pinch her (under that part in your arm that is sensitive?) because she was screaming and howling at me about having to sit in the cart (her staccato voice was echoing throughout the entrance). I know everyone was staring at us....I had to bite my lip to keep from going loco. I kindly (sweetly) reminded her that her behavior was not pretty at all (she doesn't like that! always wants to be pretty) and moved on; but oh, how I hate being showed up by a preschooler in public!

Here are some pics of my strong-willed beauty. I love her to pieces, even though she reflects my worst qualities.

I continue to marvel at how beautiful she is....and I can say that, because I had NOTHING to do with it. It is only by God's grace that we have her and get to love her. The other day as I was swinging her, she was laughing so hard....that belly-laugh that just makes your heart sing....laughing at such a simple thing as swinging through the air. And I thought of her birth-parents; feeling sorry for them that they were missing her joy, and feeling guilty that I get to enjoy it. I think that I will have these feelings for the rest of my life.