Emma's Manners

More Lilah

As I'm preparing dinner, Lilah tells me that she and Emma are going to the grocery store, and I see them both walking around the corner to the front door. I tell Lilah, just pretend, keep the front door closed! Her response, "Why? 'Cause Emma might fall down the stairs and go way far away? Then we can just have the new baby in your belly." Lilah, I don't have a baby in my belly. "You don't? Well, I have a baby in my belly."

So happy that she can offer up a solution.

New Things

SO very much has happened in the last few weeks! We are back from our great trip East. I don't know how an entire month can pass so quickly, but a five hour flight home lasts FOREVER!! The girls were pretty good though, and Jonas was with us, so I can't complain too much. Emma is walking full time now, tooth number twelve came in just before Christmas, and while she isn't really saying many more words than before, she seems to understand nearly everything now. I ask if she wants to take a walk, and she nods a huge yes, and then runs to the closet for her shoes. Lilah really loved the trip home. She talks everyday about something we did while we were there. We are slowly the boxes we shipped back to ourselves, so it's like Christmas all over again. The girls love it! It rained hard for a week straight once we got back, but the last few days the sun has finally come out again, and that has eased the transition back here. It's always a little tough to come back to the daily duties after having such a long and wonderful vacation!

We went to a Gymboree Play and Music, where they have a huge room of soft ramps and slides and inner tubes and tunnels and bridges for kids under five to play on. Emma and Lilah both LOVED it.

Lilah was thrilled to be able to eat chocolate first thing on Christmas morning.

For a while, this was Emma's face whenever she saw a camera. Now it's her winking face.

Silly girls yesterday morning. I think I can see a bit of a party girl in Emma. What a ham.

Sweet sisters!

Cold but Sunny

Man, I love where we live!

Early December

What a busy few weeks it has been! The girls and I flew to Nana and Papa's house in North Carolina on December 1. They did great on the plane, at least that's how I remember it since it was so many days ago. Oh wait, Emma was a bit difficult and didn't want to stay in her seat, but it was direct and not awful overall. Since we've been here, we have been hanging out mostly, playing with cousins and aunts and uncles (and of course Nana and Papa). Emma has officially learned to walk while we've been here (Dec 10) and now walks mostly, unless she's in her slippery footed PJs. She is also up to twelve teeth now! The missing bottom right lateral incisor decided to come in, so she's only missing her two year molars and canines. She has a really goofy smile with all those teeth! Emma has also really come into trouble making. At this same age, Lilah was a really good listener. I only had to ask her once to leave something alone. Emma seems to hear "no" as a challenge word. If I direct her away from one thing she's not supposed to touch, she goes right over to another thing, or just goes right on back to the first, over and over and over. The bookshelf on the kitchen island is especially tempting, and Emma won't take no for an answer. After moving her away over and over, then she'll get mad and throw herself on the floor. I can't help but laugh, but her scream is getting quite loud. What happened to my oh-so-quiet baby??

(New words over the last few weeks- Emma, Nana, Papa, bye-bye, backpack (Lilah's Christmas wish, she hears that word a lot), 'ba! ba!' (the sound Charlie makes).)

Lilah and Papa have been keeping each other very busy. She is so very happy outside, helping Papa around the house. A few days this month, she was able to attend Aunt Michelle's preschool class on the the BeeBee Bus. She LOVED it! And after only the second day, she started counting to thirty! I was pretty surprised. While she makes me crazy some days, she makes me laugh a lot too. Just last night she was asking for something that we didn't have and she said, "Oh man, what a shame!" That's got to be a Nana phrase.

Jonas joins us tomorrow, along with Uncle John and his family. Lilah is SO excited to see her daddy! And I am pretty excited to see him too!

Home Improvement

Jonas and I have been working on putting crown molding in the rooms downstairs. We finished the den about two weeks ago, and with the long Thanksgiving weekend decided to do the kitchen and kitchen table room (whatever it's called). I am so happy with how it's turned out!
And we got a new lamp and new chicken to decorate. I'm a sucker for ceramic chickens. Cute!

And our new chicken!

More Lilah

Sometimes the things she says are just so strange. Yesterday Lilah and Emma were standing at the window looking out. Lilah says, "shhh Emma, I think I hear a puma outside!"