Shout, shout!

Joshua's favorite music is the World Mandate cd. He would listen to it 24/7 if we let him, and when it isn't playing, he is singing it. It is pretty incredible to me how quickly he has learned most of the words. (And amusing that he insists he is correct even when he is mixed up on some words.) On another musical note, David now sings the 50 States song while he brushes Joshua's teeth. I never learned this song, and my 3 year-old now knows it better than I do! Aside from some minor, (and some more major), pronunciation issues, he can sing the entire thing!

Almost 2

I am about ready to explode, and Ellie is turning 2 on Sunday! I think I will have time to catch up a little now that classes and Christmas chaos are behind me... at least until Baby Girl is born. :) To add to the chaos, we have had a lot of computer trouble over the past month, so I can't post pictures for the time being.

We were hesitant to plan anything major to celebrate Ellie's birthday because we had no idea what the month would look like. With no signs of a hospital trip in sight, we decided to have Chick fil-a and made-by-someone-else cupcakes at the museum last night. We had Elmo cupcakes, Ellie had an Elmo balloon, and Joshua gave Ellie a stuffed Elmo. Ellie enjoyed her "pah-dee," and she appreciated all of the "Mo-mo" things. Joshua has done reasonably well actually letting Ellie play with her special Elmo. Definite progress!

Roomies!

As soon as Thanksgiving passed, we shifted gears drastically. Time to get ready for Christmas, and time to get ready for our newest family member! David had to work the day after Thanksgiving, and he surprised us with our first real Christmas tree! It makes me smile every time I come in the house to smell the fresh pine. We moved Ellie into Joshua's room, and the transition has been pretty smooth. They absolutely love it... maybe a little too much! I was nervous about making the move before my class was over. It's true, it was a distraction, but a very pleasant one. I had to work hard not to sit and listen to the radio show that inevitably took place during each nap time. Ellie had brief struggles the first few times she went to bed in her new room, and Joshua was a very sweet big brother to comfort her after I closed the door. Now, they laugh hysterically and throw their socks and stuffed animals around the room for as long as they can stand it! I went in yesterday to find Ellie with no pants on in the freezing room. As David puts it, she "hits the deck" when she hears that door open.

Marrrr!

This is the way Ellie says "more" now. It is very well articulated. I am trying to figure out what accent she has. Ellie most often says "more" when we get in the car to see Christmas lights... which for Ellie, is every time we get in the car at night. She notices the few on our street and immediately begins her chorus of "marrr!"

Out of hibernation

I have been taking some classes since June, and it they have consumed every ounce of spare time that I didn't even know I had! Yesterday was the exam that ended this little season of back-to-school, so I thought I would celebrate by doing something on the computer other than an assignment! I am sooooo excited to have these few weeks of less pressure before Baby comes... just 6 weeks left!

Ahhhh!

Or, "Hiiii!" Our Ellie has turned into quite the socialite. She eagerly and repeatedly greets others, and it never gets old to me! Ellie is very enthusiastic and cheerful as she waves frantically. If she doesn't sense a response, she gets closer and puts her hand right in front of her target's eyes... just to make sure she is seen! Recently, we were wandering around Target, and Ellie was saying good-bye to her good friends Cookie Monster and Elmo. She especially has a think for Elmo; I think it is because she can kind of say his name.

So. What did you do today?

This is a conversation Joshua and I have frequently these days. It is so sweet to see his awareness of others and watch his mind grasp new social skills. Joshua has recently realized that I wake up before him. As we sit down to breakfast, he asks me about everything I have done so far. The conversation usually ends with a few rounds of: "And what ELSE did you do? And what ELSE?" I think Joshua's favorite part is the end of the story when I say, "... and then, I got my Joshua out of bed!"