#7 of Kaylynn's Top 10

Number 7 is brought to you by...

ANIMALS

She loves (most of) them. And really, when you're not even two years old, what's not to like?

It started out very simple with Gus. She learned that Gus was a dog and that dogs say "woof". After a while, she moved on to Zoe the cat (who, in the words of Kaylynn, says "Meee-yow"). And when she went to Grandma and Pappap's house, she got to see the horses. They say "Naaaaaayyyy".

Then we got into the animal books. There was the book about going to the zoo with lions (and tigers and bears, oh my). There was the book about the barnyard dance (clap your hands, stomp your feet...). And of course there was the book with the story of the goats.

Not only did she learn all of the animals, but she learned the sounds too. And she said them with feeling. If you've been around, you've seen the video of her walking around imitating the lion that says "ROOOOAAAAR!!!!".

But it hasn't just stopped with the books. We took her to the zoo to see the animals in person - and boy did she love the giraffes. She points out all the animals she sees as we're driving around, from the fake deer to the birds to the cows and to the horses. Now that Christmas is here, she loves pointing to the lit mechanical deer.

She loves the idea of getting close to the animals - until you actually start walking towards them. She loves the horses, but doesn't want to be within 25 feet of them. She loves feeding the cows, but hates when they get too close to the ATV. She loves the mechanical deer, but doesn't want to get any closer than the end of the driveway. She's not afraid of strangers, but she sure isn't fond of strange animals. Ironically enough, when she sees an animal from afar (or in a book), she says "[Insert animal] no hurt you".

Similarly, she has learned about bugs. She only knows certain categories of bugs - spiders and flies mainly - but she knows she doesn't like them. When she sees one on the ground, she says "stomp tha bug" and stomps her foot. She she sees a picture of one, she slaps the book and says "hit tha bug". And when she sees a fly flying around, she says "shoo fly".

Who knows - with her love of animals, maybe she'll grow up and be a veterinarian (after going to the Fightin' Texas Aggie vet school)!