She's a Very Determined Little Girl...

Monday, April 5, 2010

Canaan is a very determined little girl. We are discovering that she always has a plan-of-action and if, for some reason, that plan doesn't play out like she had envisioned, she becomes quite frustrated. In which case we resort to a variety of parenting methods to calm the erupting storm.

For example, on Tim's birthday, our little family went bowling. Here, Canaan is pictured with a ball that is 3/4 her weight and three times as big as her head. That doesn't deter Canaan--she was determined to push that ball down the alley. So we let her discover that when we say, "Don't cross the foul line--it's really slippery," we mean it. And that's it worth it to listen to your parents who have had 29 years of bowling experience on her 1 year.



Canaan celebrated her second Valentine's Day at Mackenzie Thornton's party. Gracie and Joy Bardin were there and Canaan was determined to not only be in charge of the doll's hair straightener the entire party (seen in her left hand), but also eat Gracie's cookie even though I specifically gave her one cookie and said that was enough sugar (Gracie's cookie seen in her right hand, and Gracie still smiling like a champ behind her.)

And here we are smiling because we both know that we're secretly the boss when it comes to devising great plans and executing them.

Canaan celebrated Actual Valentine's Day at the Mountain house with Grandma and Bampa and Unka (Uncle John). She's in awe that her dad finally gave her a dog. She's thinking, "That's what I've been asking for this whole time and now I actually have one! A red one at that!!"

Plan to Get Dog: check.

Later, Grammy (from Minnesota) and Aunt Beth (my sister from North Carolina) came to visit with us! Here, Canaan is sporting the chef's outfit that her Aunt Beth gave her.

While helping me cook, Canaan becomes quickly determined/frustrated if she can't crack the real eggs into a bowl. So we've been working on the egg-cracking-and-not-just-crushing technique. The apron and hat and oven mitt are perfect for splatter control. Thanks, Aunt Beth!

And the snow in late winter. We played outside and much as I tried to deter her, Canaan was determined to sabotage our snowman. That's why we only had a snow-abdomen this year. Sometimes, when dealing with a determined 1 1/2 year old, it's easiest to let your best laid plans go to pot for the sake of the joy of smashing a snow man to pieces.

The leprechaun came to visit the Goodwin house on March 17th. While Canaan's plan was to find a pot of gold teeming with candy, cupcakes, and ice cream, she found instead an apple, raisins, and some piece of candy that her mother only let her eat a bite of before she threw it away. Canaan learned an important lesson here: sometimes the pot at the end of the rainbow is only filled with nutritious items and so just get used to that cause we don't eat a lot of sugar around here whether you throw yourself to the floor kicking and screaming or not.



But we do have to let her enjoy a cup cake every now and then. This is a look of pure bliss. Canaan thinking, "Yes. Hard work and determination can get you a cupcake every time." Mother thinking, "Enjoy this cupcake, sister, cause this is enough sugar for the next nine days."

This is a picture of Canaan's first day of "school"! Tim and I had to work for the day, so Canaan went to Nana's school (Messiah Christian Academy). Here she is with her lunchbox! Canaan already had her day planned out: "First, I'll eat my lunch. Then I'll eat a snack. Then I'll eat my friend's snack. Then I'll play with his toy. Then I'll eat more of his snack. Then I'll go home."

Canaan always has a plan.

And here she is executing that plan. Eating snack with her friend Sawyer Young! She was actually on her best behavior because instead of eating everyone else's snack, she tried to share her own snack! I was proud of that kid!!

My plan to teach her to share and unconditionally love others: check.

She was inspired by the arts-n-crafts at school, so we got out the paints later to create a masterpiece. Lesson learned: my plans of having her create a cute picture with perfectly laid hand prints all in coordinating colors just doesn't compare to the masterpiece she made with scribbly paint and fingers and a taste-test at the end. So, like God, my "plans" just don't compare to the bigger plans that often surprise us.

Speaking of surprises, Canaan has been the best one we've ever gotten!!

Back to the lessons learned by a our very determine little girl: while she may think she can pedal faster than our nine year old neighbor, she'll still need her Daddy's help for another year or two. Especially since her feet don't really touch the pedals yet.

At the Alpharetta Children's Festival, Canaan was determined to feed this llama not only all the food in her hand, but all the food in the container as well as handfuls of dirt she scooped from the ground. Canaan learned that day that you just can't boss a llama. Especially if you try to feed it dirt.

Speaking of bossing, I learned that I can't boss this blogger website because this is the ninth time I've tried to upload this picture of my pregnant belly at twenty weeks. And each time it loaded it sideways. Really weird. By the way, we're having a GIRL!!!!

Canaan will be happy to have a sister. Here, she's pictured with her friend Ava Harrison at the playground. She looks forward to having a sister that she can "teach lessons to." Much like her mother continually tries to teach her lessons--like "Look at the camera and smile!! PLEASE just look over here and smile! See how Ava smiles at me??? Can you do that? Look at me!!! HEY!!"

This is the picture of determination--"I'll either look at you and not smile, or I'll look at the swings and smile. Your choice, mama."

And another picture of determination: nearly every night after she gets out of the bath tub, Canaan is determined to put her boots on and pour herself a little tea from her tea set. 90% of the time, I have to divert her attention to other activities like, "Look! Here's the lotion I have to put on you!" or "Hey!! Let's put your diaper on!!" or "Canaan! I've got these cutie PJs for you!!" or "Whoo hoo!! It's time to brush your hair!!!" Sometimes they work, other times I brush her hair with her boots on.

And another picture of pure determination: "I will find out, by jove, what is inside of this flower. Whether my mother is calling for me to smile and look at her or not."

And if after twenty minutes I have still not uncovered the mystery underneath these petals, I will continue to discover where the pistil is and how the pollen travels down that tube.

Easter! These are the fascinating eggs I've been talking about. Canaan is enamoured with eggs--eggs in a nest, checking eggs for cracks in the grocery store, cracking eggs into a bowl, sorting pretend eggs, and here she is getting the hard boiled eggs ready for coloring! Not only is she a determined little girl, but she is also very curious. A great attribute for a teacher's kid! "You like eggs? GREAT! I've got nineteen books on eggs and a diagram of an egg and a phonics game we can play with eggs and a great arts-n-craft project where we paint with eggs and..."

Here we are at Nana and Pop Pop's house with her cousin Courtney getting ready for the Easter Egg hunt! Not sure if Canaan thinks it's raining and has convinced Courtney to keep an eye out for rain clouds or what.

And here she is: "EGGS MAMA!! TONS of eggs!! And you would not believe this, but they are the SAME eggs I decorated last night!!!! Look everyone! Daddy--look! That egg I colored!!!!"

And of course, we did have a fantastic discussion on the resurrection of Jesus and how we wouldn't have Easter without Him. Tim and I are determined that she will know all about Jesus!!

Finally, a video capturing Canaan's determined spirit. Not only will she happily collect eggs, but she's going to inspect each one before she moves on to find the next 147 eggs in the backyard.

While Canaan's determination wears us out sometimes, we believe she'll grow into a successful young woman, breaking glass ceilings, wearing lipstick like a pit-bull, and bringing love, life, and the joy of the Lord into every relationship she has!!