Letters

Ellie is getting pretty good with some of her letters. We're by no means pushing it, but she has some tubby letters and numbers and so we talk about them while she's taking baths. She's pretty good at recognizing D, G, E, L, O, and is hit and miss with B, I, and M. We've associated words with each of them (D for dada, E for Ellie, etc), and sometimes when she grabs a letter she remembers the word we've assigned it, but not the letter itself. Baby steps, but I'm so proud of how much she seems to enjoy learning. (I'll have to get a video of her in the tub where we have the whole alphabet at our disposal!)

Just like mama

I had to get some blood drawn today, and the lady was so sweet, offering Ellie the same arm wrap I got. She was QUITE proud of her new accessory. (Side note: I'm obsessed with the fact that her Chucks finally fit!!!!)

Park series

We've been so lucky with some amazingly overcast mornings! I just couldn't stop snapping pics today at the park. Some sand playing, sitting with sister, sliding, being VERY curious about ants crawling up and down the tree, and of course, working on some faces. Is this my kid or what?! HA!

Why get up?

When you can sing in your crib for awhile? I am seriously the luckiest person alive that when E wakes up, both in the morning and after naps, that she loves a good 20 minutes of "quiet" alone time before she fusses for me to get her.

Hello, friend!

Life in the desert. Ellie wasn't quite as amused as Penny was.

Ellie's new friend, Poppi

Ellie is pretty obsessed with her new friend, Poppi, who is in our swim class. I really enjoy Poppi's mama too, so we've been spending time with them after swimming letting the girls play in the little play area at Hubbard. They are also the ones who introduced us to baby dance!
What I adore is that their little friendship is totally organic - this hand holding the other day was totally toddler initiated, and oh, so sweet.

One of my favorite times of day

It's one of my favorite times of day - when she drags her coloring books and crayons to the kitchen and plops down right by my feet while I'm cooking dinner. You know, on the days I have my stuff together and actually cook dinner ;)

This one's for Great Grammy and Grandpa

Ellie's ready for KU Basketball season!

Baby girl is GROWING

Side by side of the same dress - well tunic, now - mid July vs. this week.
She has grown a TON in the last couple of months!!

Adventures in sidewalk chalk

I'm not sure why it didn't cross my mind just how messy this would get. I think maybe I forgot how sidewalk chalk works. This may have been the messiest she's ever been, but oh man, was she happy.

Because it should be noted...

...baby's first spaghetti-o's! What is childhood without rings in a can?!

A VERY rare moment

I already love this picture, but I have a feeling at some point in the future, it will be a truly special one. 

More baby dance

These are some better videos of baby dance class, which Ellie is actually really enjoying. I'm guessing we'll have some ballet slippers in our future.
(Note: you'll see the confusion spread across her face during the Wheels on the Bus song when they get to the mommies on the bus saying "chat chat chat". In our house, the mommies on the bus say "I love you", which is why Ellie was ready with arms just about to give herself a hug - her motion for the mommies)

Miss Independent

As many of my recent posts have mentioned, Ellie is very independent these days. Our morning routine has lengthened by about 15 minutes because she insists on putting her own shorts, shirts, dresses, socks, shoes, whatever needs to go on, on. I've found it's completely worthless to argue, so she usually gets a couple of minutes to "try", and then realizes she might need some help and typically comes around with a "mommy help you?" and so I do and we go about our business.
However, on rare occasions, she wants ZERO help. Like, none, even after 5 full minutes. And this is usually the result. I will say she was VERY proud of herself, and I was pretty impressed, too, that she even figured out the right way to put her legs in (ignoring the fact her legs are sharing a leg hole).
This girl. Hilarious.

Evenings with Daddy

It's Ellie's favorite time of day - when Daddy gets home. And thankfully the temps have cooled while it's still light enough for some outdoor time. These two - peas in a pod. I adore this pic of them just doing some toe-dipping and life-contemplating.

New found freedom

See that tiny speck? That's Ellie.
In the last couple of weeks, this little girl has taken independence to a whole new level. The girl that hung right by me at the park and took my hand wherever she went has started running of, happy as a clam, not a care in the world, exploring everything around her.
It's a fine line - letting them roam while keeping them safe - and I know this is just the tiniest tip of the iceberg. But I figure if my job is to grow her wings while spreading her roots, I might as well start now.

Fancy talk

Ellie has started saying things that just seem so not right coming out of the mouth of a 21 month old. I always wonder "do I say that a lot? How else would she pick it up?"

Today, for example, she was eating lunch and commenting on how each of her raspberries were a big bite. "This ones a big bite!" (munch, munch, munch). "This ones a big bite, also!" (munch, munch, munch). 

I'm sorry.  ALSO?! A big bite ALSO? She didn't even say "AND this ones a big bite also." which is what I would expect from a not even 2 year old learning to navigate language. 

Last week when she work up from her nap, I was standing in her room and we were chatting prior to her wanting to actually get out of her crib (this is normal). She was asking about Uncle Vince and Kat (as has also been the norm, usually every other day or so, since they visited a few weeks back. They apparently made quite the impression.), and we were talking about how they are now back in Hong Kong. This is pretty much verbatim:

E: uncle vince is in Hong Kong. 

L: yes he is. 

E: where is Hong Kong, mama?

L: you tell me (she's asked this enough she knows the answer)

E: in China. 

L: that's right! He's halfway around the world. 

E: is it by Washington, D.C.? 

L: not quite - we're actually closer to Hong Kong than DC is. 

E: (stopping to think for a minute) Kat is halfway around the world, mama!

L: (completely flabbergasted) well, yes she is! 

This child put together that uncle Vince is in Hong Kong, which means he's in China, which means he's halfway across the world, and Kat is with him, so she must be halfway around the world, too. My mind is blown at the connections she's making!

A Dream Is A Wish

Ellie actually knows the words to the song "A Dream is a Wish" from Cinderella. We've sung it to her since she was a baby off and on and a couple of weeks ago, I was singing it and she just joined right in. This kid kills me with how much she holds out on us!
Anywho, I tried to get it on video, but we first experienced "no eyeballs" (previous post) so I had to aim the camera the other way. (And for anyone perceptive enough, yes, we're in the guest room right now because we bought a new KING size bed - hooray for being a real adult! - but we only have a bed, mattress has yet to be delivered.)
You get a flavor of the song, and then a really good flavor of our limited toddler attention span :)

No eyeballs

A quick but funny video I had to share. 

Sunday evening views

It's around this time of year that I'm grateful it's still so warm here. 

We'll get "pool" time for weeks to come!

Daddy and Ellie silliness

And my new favorite video.

ABC's - clear as a bell!

None of this "elempee" stuff for this girl! Her enunciation is insane!

Ellie's thinking noise

For months Ellie has made this same noise when she's trying to come up with the answer to the question you ask her. It took us awhile to figure out what she was doing (we thought she was asking us to repeat the question), but once did it made a lot of sense. I have no idea how much longer she'll do it, so I had to get it on video. The noise (a 'huh?) typically goes on until you either ask her a follow up question or you change the subject completely. Every once in awhile she can go from this noise to the correct answer on her own. It's hilarious, we love it, and it's a fabulous Ellie quirk.

Few days with Papa and Gigi

On the heels of Vince and Kat's trip, we were able to spend a few days with Papa and Gigi. Counting Crows was in town, and since there's pretty much no one I'd rather see them with, we asked them if they'd like to tickets with us.
We had a great few days - lots of playtime, dinner out and a trip to the zoo, including the first time E has been on a carousel with anyone but mom!). Can't wait to see Papa again next week when he's back for boys weekend!

Visit from Uncle Vinny!

We were so lucky to get a visit from Uncle Vinny (and the lovely Kat) while he was back in the US! It was a quick trip, but we made the most of it with an adults dinner out, pool time, and lots of catching up. It was wonderful getting to know Kat, who we all really liked.
The one hiccup was Ellie - when Vince walked in the door with a full beard, long hair and a trucker hat, and proceeded to bear hug her dad into submission, E flat out freaked out. We all felt terrible - Vince felt bad for making E cry, and we felt bad for Vince that E was basically crying at the sight of him. We thought maybe it was just being tired at the end of the day, but the next morning (Vince's birthday) he walked in the kitchen and the same thing happened. You couldn't help but laugh.
Fortunately they became friends later in the day when Vince took her outside to play a little corn hole.
It was the first time, too, that I have ever seen Ellie truly, 100% SCARED. She's definitely been clingy, or unsure, but for some reason she was terrified to the point of shaking. It would have been more heartbreaking had there really been a reason for her to be as scared as she was. Poor girl. At least she was happy about the cake we baked him (with sprinkles compliments of Ellie.) And funny story - when I told her what I wrote on the cake, she kept saying, "no mama - UNCLE vince!" so eventually I said fine and we squeezed in "uncle" on the already written out cake. Then she proceeded to stick her finger in it. Ah, toddlers.

They've started...

Yep, timeouts. I know, I know, how could this sweet girl do anything to deserve a timeout? You're gonna have to trust me - she does. 

Tonight it was full on slapping- first Penny (a warning), then me (bring on the time out). Mama doesn't mess around.

She didn't try to get up once, she did cry the whole time (2 minutes), and after the timer went off and I asked her if she knew why I'd put her there, she said through big tears "I hit mama!". 

I will say it was pretty heartbreaking watching her there and hearing her cry. 2 minutes has never felt so long. 

Oh, growing up. So hard for littles AND their mamas.  

Dads of daughters

Pretty sure it's not the last time :)

Baby "dance class"

We hit up a free baby "dance class" with some new friends that a local dance studio offers. It was pretty hilarious, but a lot of fun. I was super proud of E - the room is small, and there are LOTS of kids and each kid has an adult. This equals loud and crowded. However, from the second we stepped in the room, she was happy as a clam doing the "obstacle course" they had set up, and followed right along to the moves when it came time to actually "dance". Forgot to take my phone in so grabbed it with just a few minutes left, hence the fairly unexciting videos. I'll get better ones next time :)

If You're Happy and You Know It

I cannot get enough of this girl and her singing. It's amazing.

Ellie in a nutshell

 At around 7 months, we started putting a stuffed animal in Ellie's crib, and as the months went by the number of "friends" in the crib multiplied. Now on any given night you'll find anywhere from 8 to 10 friends, keeping her company. 

Ellie has also been sleeping with a blanket in her crib for the last 7 or 8 months. 

She has never really taken to the blanket, however, and by the time I go in to check on her before I go to bed, the blanket is usually wadded up in a corner of her crib. There's maybe been 5 nights in the last 7 months that the blanket actually covers her throughout the night. 

Tonight when we put her to bed, I covered her up like I normally do, and she immediately sat up and started messing with the blanket like she normally does. For some reason we sat talking to her a little longer than normal and I realized that she doesn't kick or throw the blanket off in her sleep. Oh no. Ellie takes the blanket and immediately covers Momo, her favorite friend, with it.   

Thinking back, the blanket is usually wadded in the top left corner of her crib next to her pillow, which is the place of honor Momo always receives.

The amazing thing I realized, which immediately choked me up, is that that one act pretty much sums up who Eleanor Claire is. That's about all you'd need to know, and you'd know a lot. 

Oh how I adore my thoughtful, empathetic, kind little girl. 

Milk. FINALLY.

A couple of weeks ago Ellie was sitting down to lunch and I asked her if she wanted me to grab her water cup.
She looked at me and said, "Ellie have milk?" as if she's been asking for milk her whole life. I said, "You want milk. Like, milk from the fridge?" She nodded and looked at me like I was crazy so I poured some in a sippy cup and she drank it so fast it was as if she was making up for the last 8 months that I've been trying to get her to drink it.

We now happily drink milk at most meals. Glad the 'no milk' phase is over. Oh, and to be clear, it's almond milk. But we'll take what we can get!

Dada has to work

Ellie is starting to figure out that some days Dad is home, and some days, it's just her and mom. Usually she asks where Dada is going, and we remind her that Dada has to go to work. 

This morning, as Brad was getting ready she kept saying, "dada go work". Then when he finally did walk out the door, E was laying on the floor with a coloring book. Not looking up or skipping a beat she said almost to herself, "Dada go to work now. I miss him SO much.". 

I mean, UGH! Sweetness overload. 

Labor Day in Minneapolis!

We spent the holiday weekend with our dear friends the Kokkinens in Minneapolis. With Ellie and their two, Johnny (4) and Emma (15 months), it was quite the party! The kids did great together (aside from the normal sharing issues between the two littlest) and Johnny took quite the liking to Miss E, laying on all kinds of smooches (most with his eyes closed) and hugs at all points throughout the day. It was pretty hilarious.
We enjoyed a huge park (called Chutes and Ladders) and the Minnesota State Fair, which was quite the experience! With three littles, we didn't get much further than the animals and the rides, but they had a blast and it was so fun to watch them play. I even got to let my inner kid out by taking Johnny on the huge slides :)
Ellie did well on both flights, and were were SO LUCKY that our early flight home on Monday wasn't full...Ellie got a seat to herself which totally saved us. Plus we were on a new plane that had TVs at each seat with free shows/movies. Three cheers for Curious George and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!
The link to all our photos is here.