Oh my darling...

Lola is an expert at making me laugh.

Her penchant for mischief both exhausts and rejuvenates me, and I regularly find myself struggling to keep a straight face when discipline is necessary.

Take, for example, her clever plan to hide books under the blankets in her crib.

I thought she was napping beautifully until I heard giggling and quacking coming from her room.

I peeked inside, to find this:

Because really, who needs sleep when you've got the prose of Dr. Suess and Olivia the pig?

The child has insisted on feeding herself lately.

If a menu item requires help from Reece or I, it simply doesn't make the cut.

Thus, the yogurt face.

The terrible two stage is rearing its ugly head a bit prematurely around our house, and full-blown tantrums are an almost-daily occurrence.

We've been instructed to ignore and walk away, but I couldn't help but snap a few pictures during the latest epic fit.

She's an expert climber, and though this new hobby keeps me on the verge of a heart attack, it can be quite delightful to witness.

I've saved the best story for last.

Last night, Lola went down around 8, Reece and I were both in bed by 8:30 with our books and things couldn't really get more perfect.

Then 1:30 came along and Lola decided sleep was no longer necessary.

So I spent the night on the couch, watching my daughter run around with her toys while munching on cheerios and singing songs at the top of her lungs.

I was finally able to get her back to bed around 5:45, but by that time sleep was out of the question and I opted for the gym instead.

Unfortunately I'm ready to turn in for the night now, despite the clock reading 3:43 p.m.

It's a good thing I've got a plate of comfort just an arm's length away.

And there you have it -- my random smattering of motherly thoughts for the day.

Goodness gracious, I love my naughty girl.

And sugar cookies.