How Old Is She?

Larissa who is just shy of 27 months is VERY independent. Larissa has always been a character but lately her personality has really exploded. Larissa can say anything and understands everything you say. She has already learned how to talk back but since she is still so little and so cute she knows she can get away with it.

So this past week she has done things that even my newly 6-year old won't do... First she has learned how to open the fridge, open the produce drawer, and help herself to apples or grapes. For the longest time I couldn't figure out who kept giving her the fruit until I saw her do it. Then the other morning there was a box of cereal sitting on the edge of the counter, just in her reach, so she grabbed the cereal, took a Dixie Cup out from under the sink, and took the bag out of the box of cereal and dipped her cup in the bag of cereal and served herself. It wasn't like she asked me for cereal and I was too slow getting it or told her no, she figured she could do it herself I guess.

Here is the kicker and something Seth still hasn't even attempted to do. Wednesday night Larissa didn't eat her dinner, she threw it all over the floor, so come 8pm she was hungry. She asked me for a glass of chocolate milk and I told her no that she needed to eat something. (Larissa doesn't eat she drinks instead.) She got mad at me and stormed off. I then got busy in the back of the house putting laundry away. I heard someone scooting the step-stool across the kitchen floor but assumed it was one of the older kids. 2 - 3 minutes later I come out to the kitchen and I find Larissa mopping milk up with a towel off the kitchen table!!! She had pushed the step-stool over to the counter below the cupboard with the cups, climbed up the step-stool, on to the counter, grabbed herself a cup, climbed down and put it on the kitchen table. She then went over to the fridge, grabbed the almost empty gallon of milk, took it to the kitchen table, climbed up on the chair, and poured herself a glass of milk - if the chocolate wasn't kept above the pantry she probably would have had that down and in her milk. She only spilled just a little bit so she found a towel and was wiping it up when I found her!!!

She is my 4th and I have NEVER had any of my kids be so independent. People tell me it is because she is the youngest and I am sure they are partly right but I also think it is just Larissa. She is just an independent feisty little spirit.