So her

The moment I snapped this photo, I knew I had a keeper. Fierce, sweet Calla. At two and a half, she has more personality than a kid her age really ought to be allowed. She's an amazing big sister, even if she loves Quinn in a way that makes me think she's channeling Elmyra Duff. I just adore it when she says, "Oh, Kinny. You're my BEST friend!" She's an even better baby sister who absolutely idolizes her brother. She follows him everywhere and essentially repeats 90% of what he says, changing only the intonation so that it actually seems like they're having a genuine conversation. You'll never hear her refer to him as just Brick. It's always "my Bick" or "our Bick." I'm dreading the day that "Kinny" and "Bick" and "nana" (banana) and "lello" (yellow) are retired for their proper pronunciations, but I know that day is creeping up on us FAST.

Calla is no doubt a determined child. I can't really blame her though - the apple didn't fall far from the tree, you might say. She'll throw a fit without really understanding why she's throwing one. And she LOVES to scream at the top of her lungs. Sometimes I think she does it just to see how loud she can get. She also knows the weight a well-timed "I love you, Mom," can carry, but always says it with sincerity.