Our younger daughter, Angelina Brunke (aka “Beanie”), turned two in June. While her older sister, Michaela, is sassy, silly, and spirited, Beanie’s all sugar and spice. Sweet, girly, and affectionate, she also has an occasional terrible twos temper. Enjoy her best quotes from January through December 2016:
Photo by Ben Stafford.
10
One day, my husband, Mark, mentioned he wasn’t feeling well.
Beanie brought him her most treasured possessions—her loveys. Then she folded her hands and was silent for a moment.
“Did you pray for me?” Mark said.
Beanie nodded. “Yeah.”
9
In August, Mark asked Beanie, “Who is God?”
“Jesus!” she yelled.
“What did He do for us?”
“Give us snack.”
8
When Mark showed Angelina one of our wedding photos, she ran to me and showed me the picture. “You look like a princess!” But she was sad she wasn’t invited to the wedding. “You no take me there.”
A few days later, when I put her to bed, she kissed me and said, “Sleep well, princess.”
7
In October, the girls and I went to Deep Creek with my mom and grandmom for three days. When we returned, I told Beanie Daddy was on his way home from church, and she said, “I be so happy to see him.”
6
One morning, Mark was reading Angelina a Bible story. “Did you know Jesus died, but He came back to life?”
Angelina smiled. “That make His Mommy so, so, so happy.”
5
As we were coming out of the grocery store one cold December day, Michaela started singing a song about a baby.
“I am not a baby,” Beanie said indignantly. “I a big girl.”
“Okay. I’ll say toddler then.”
“I not toddler,” Beanie insisted. “I a big girl.”
“You’re a two-year-old,” Michaela tried to explain.
“I not Tooyearold! I Angelina!’
4
Another day at the grocery store, Angelina ate so much cheese that I told her she was going to turn into a mouse. For weeks afterwards, every time we asked her what was her favorite part of the day, she repeated that story. “Me eat lots of cheese, then Mommy call me mouse.”
3
In October, Mark told Angelina he loved her.
“I love Mommy.”
“Do you only love Mommy,” he said, “or do you love Mommy and Daddy?”
“I love Mommy, and I will always love you.”
2
One day in August, Beanie came up to me and said, “It all done now.”
I tilted my head to the side. “What’s done?”
She led me into the living room and gestured to a sofa cushion covered with smeared ChapStick. Beaming up at me, she said, “I color it pink!”
1
In the summer and fall, I gave the girls lots of stickers for helping, sharing, and doing good work. Then they started giving them to me and Mark. “Daddy,” Beanie said, “you deserve good job sticker for peeing standing up.” Tweet that!
Which Angelina Brunke quote is your favorite? 🙂 Comment below.
