Our big kids 2013

Playing around at Costco Optical - such a cute little nerd! 

Warning: this is a wordy post all about the kids.  It may not be interesting to anyone other than us.  Feel free to skip it and go the the next few posts for pics and shorter updates about what we've been up to.

Elijah has grown up so much since he turned two.  We were starting to wonder if he was a little behind in his speech but as soon as he turned two his language just came out!  Now you can hold a pretty good conversation with him and even other people can understand what he says easily.  Of course, that doesn't mean that he will readily talk to other people; he's still very shy and the people in nursery think that he doesn't really talk at all.  He either starts or ends almost every sentence he says with "Mommy" which I love although sometimes I feel a little like an army officer or something.  "Yes Mommy" "No Mommy."  He says the funniest things - lately whenever I ask him where something went, like "hey where'd your pants go?" he'll respond with "They're prolly gone, Mommy."  (Even though they're lying right on the floor next to him.)

He is still very much my little momma's boy.  He has always been very cuddly and although now that he is bigger there are some times when he does not want to cuddle I still get more than my fair share of cuddles, hugs and kisses from my sweet boy.  But he is definitely starting to develop some very strong opinions on how things should be and especially, on what he wants to do himself.  (Put on shoes, get in the car, get out of the car, etc.)  And if things don't go his way, watch out for a big two year old tantrum.

Elijah has been benefiting from the bit of teaching I try to get in with Cora - he can recognize almost as many letters as she does (although he can't write them) and he can count up to 10 very well in English and up to 5 and sometimes 10 in Spanish.  He will take a bite out of a cracker and then hold it up and say "Look Mommy is da letter C".  Or he will be reading a book with me and interrupt and say "how many clowns?" and then proceed to count them.  He absolutely loves puzzles and is really very good at them.

Cora's artistic skills have really been developing lately, which is so fun for me to see.  Her coloring skills are coming along nicely, with an obvious attempt to be accurate. She was very proud of this picture Tinkerbell.  (She explained that she couldn't find a sparkly crayon for Tinkerbell's wings, so she substituted red.)

Her freestyle drawing skills have improved too - most of the time we can tell if what she drew is a person, or a flower, etc.

Here is her version of the fairy field journal a character makes in one of the Tinkerbell movies - basically a book all about fairies.  (The Tinkerbell movies are all on Netflix and are some of Cora's favorites.)  Cora told me while showing me her book that she wished Tinkerbell could come out of the TV and be in real life.  I offered to make her a Tinkerbell doll and she said no, she wants a real Tinkerbell; i.e., she doesn't have to help her move.  Anyways, here is the book - with Cora's name and a picture of Cora and Tinkerbell.

More of Cora's names, and Cora and Tinkerbell again.  Somehow Cora got it into her head that her name has to have a line drawn through it - actually she draws the line first then centers her letters on it.  She tells us not to forget the line when we write our name too.

Detail of a mixed-media mural currently decorating our hallway.

The landscape drawing she taped to our bedroom door, complete with flower, tree, cloud, sun, grass and sky.

The family portrait she taped to her bedroom door.  I can't remember who is who, except that I'm pretty sure two of the figures are wearing dresses (pink and red) and the other two have blue jeans and green shirts on.

I can't get Cora to nap anymore, even though she really could use it.  Occasionally she'll just crash, usually right before dinner time. And then have a total break-down when she wakes up.  (Unless she had it first, and that's why she crashed.)  

She has become quite a sassy little lady, and sometimes really surprises us with the things she says.  She'll say "I suppose" like a little old lady and the "oKAY," like a little teenager.

A couple of weeks ago we were talking about what we should do for FHE and she came up with the idea of making cards for our family members.  We were talking about saying nice things that make people happy (giving compliments) and she came up with an elaborate pay it forward idea involving making cards for people who would then make cards for other people and then eventually, "the whole wide world would be happy!"

Cora is always singing and makes up her own songs about everything (although some common themes include rainbows, princesses, ponies and unicorns)  She is such a girly girl.  She has very firm opinions about which clothes she will wear, which makes it hard for me to sew for her, when I am not sure if what I make will ever get worn.  But generally she's very appreciative of what I make for her, as long as I make it comfortable, soft, and pink.  

Both kids love going to the library and we always have a lot of books out.  We got a knock-knock book out recently and they both laugh hysterically when I read it to them but they only get a handful of the jokes.  Their favorite is "knock knock" "who's there?" "gorilla..." "gorilla who?" "gorilla cheese sandwich for me please."  I think they like it so much because of the funny picture that accompanied it in the book.  I'm fairly certain that they don't actually get the pun, because they think it's just as funny when Ryan substitutes any other animal for "gorilla".  Maybe that's just because of the surprise factor? But it's hilarious to see them running around saying it to each other.  Most of the time they don't get it right and skip a line or two.  Her other favorites are "hoo" "hoo who?" "hey are you an owl?" and "ach" "ach who?" "bless you!" but she usually has to ask me how they go before she can say them.    Some other favorite books we've gotten are Caps for Sale, I Want My Hat Back, the Ladybug Girl series, Angelina Ballerina, and the Eloise series.

A couple of weeks ago we captured a ladybug in a jar and kept her in there for a couple of days.  We put a few leaves in with her, making sure to include one that had a bunch of aphids on it, and watched her eat them.  It was pretty fascinating and I had a hard time convincing the kids to let her go.  Elijah still asks me randomly where the ladybug went and when I say "what?" (because I'm usually not thinking about the ladybug at the moment) he usually answers himself and says in the bush, mommy?