Congrats, Elsie!

The first day of 4K was an exciting one- we had a late morning, then needed to zoom right from swimming lessons to school.  Why not add a little excitement since emotions were already running high?  When we walked into the swim school, we were greeted with a plaque naming Elsie Swimmer of the Week!  She was nominated by her teacher, Miss Romina.  We took home a t-shirt, certificate, picture, water bottle, and a free family swim pass so that she can bring Daddy to see her swim, too!  Congrats, Elsie!

She was a little nervous to start at her new school, and spent the morning being reassured that Sylvie and I wouldn't leave before she was ready.  As soon as we got in her room, though, she found a bucket of animals, started lining them up on the floor, and said, "You can go now, Mama.  I'm playing."  And the end of the day recap- her favorite part of the day? "When you left me at school."  I guess this place is a good fit for her afterall!

July Miscellanious

Funny sentences by Sylvie:
"All done, walk!" -wanted to get out of the stroller
"Mama up now!" -wanted to be picked up
"Sylvie shoe hat go out." -wanted to play outside
"Mama, more button?" -looking for a belly button on Mama's back
"Mama cup, Daddy cup, Elsie cup, Sylvie bottle!"- at dinner

Elsie started swimming lessons.  The pool is indoors and heated to 90 degrees, and she still shivers the whole time. This is her teacher, Romina, the day she passed into Level 2 by swimming 5 feet on her own.

Sylvie loves standing in the huge windows to watch Elsie swim.  "Elsie, water, mama?  Splash splash!  Elsie swim!"

Elsie lining up her animals on "boats".

Elsie was reading, so Sylvie grabbed a book and joined her on the chair.

Funny quotes from Elsie:

"Mama, put ALL your bones on my bed!"- when Mama tried to read bedtime stories leaning on bed, instead of laying down.

"Mama, see these lines on my hand?  They are my tubes, and they are filled with my blood.  It goes all over me.  If you could see my toes (in shoes), you would know I have tubes there, too!"- sharing knowledge of anatomy  

"Sylvie, it is time to be quiet, now!  I am trying to sleep!  You are waking me up, and I will be very, very tired tomorrow.  I will have to take a very long nap if you don't go to sleep soon!" -talk between sisters at a joint bedtime

"Brussel sprouts?  They are my very favorite!  Hooray!"- at dinner

It's how I roll...

Celebrating after passing into a new Swim level!

Waiting for family pictures to be taken.

Snuggle with Grandma RJ

Busy artists...

Old picture of Elsie and her teacher, Miss Kerri

Picking flowers with Annie

Not sure when this is from, but I do remember that Lexie was supremely happy to share her cage, and kept rubbing her head on Sylvie's hand between bites. :)

A mystery at the Cooper's

This is never the sort of text you want to see when heading home from the office:

Apparently a true IASIP moment had happened right at home.  We may never know the culprit.

On a positive note, our new flooring had coincidentally arrived that very day!  

A Fairy Garden Party

Far, far away, in a magical place, 

lives a cute little fairy with a smile on her face! 

She waits for her friends in the afternoon sun- 

won't you come June 14th for the 4th Birthday fun? 

With fairy food to eat, crafts, and garden games to play, 

your arrival at one o'clock would make Elsie's day! 

Only those in proper magical attire will get through the gate, 

so fairies, elves, wizards (and family), please don't be late!

In lieu of gifts, Elsie collected donations to the Heartland Farm Sanctuary.  She followed up her birthday party fun with a tour of the facility when we dropped off the supplies.  She got to pet goats, lambs, llamas, pigs, ducks, chickens, and even a rooster named Baby!  She was able donate money in addition to many physical donations like office supplies, animal carriers, and cleaning supplies.  A big bag of cracked corn was donated, and for weeks after our visit, she would pull me aside and say, "Mama, I bet the animals are eating my corn today!" and offer a huge grin.  She was also thrilled to learn that "her" money would most likely be going toward a new "swimming pool" for the birds, a thought that filled her with joy! 

A big thank you to all our lovely friends for making her special day so magical!

Sylvie is 15 months!

Health and growth:

Sylvie now weights 17 lbs, 12 oz (5%) and stretches to 29.75 inches (19%) [for those interested, Elsie weighed 18lbs, 8oz (2%) and was 30.5 inches (51%) at this age - and yes, the percentages have changed since Elsie was little!.  She wears size 3 diapers (when she uses disposables), 18 month clothes and size 4 shoes.

Sylvie still wakes three or four times a night to eat, and consistently takes 1-2 naps a day, totaling about 2 hours. 

Sylvie's abilities have expanded so much in the last three months!  She easily navigates stairs, climbs down from beds or couches, climbs onto tables and chairs, and even climbs ladders!  She loves to dance, bounce, and chase- she runs faster than I can walk!  She is learning to blow bubbles with Elsie, and loves to carry the bubbles around the yard until she finds someone to open them for her.  Her other favorite outside activities are sliding, swinging, and chasing Elsie's bicycle down the sidewalk.

It was funny to look back at Elsie's notes from her 15-month well-child appointment and realized that Dr. Lo made the same comments about her little sister three years later!  He commented on both their verbal abilities ("very advanced, on par with a two-year-old"),  and their inquisitive natures, noting that each was "exploring and easily opened the exam table drawers", something he doesn't expect to see until two-year check-ups. 

As Sylvie grows up, it is delightful to see how similar these two are becoming...the same smiles, humor, attitude, desires, and energy.  They are starting to make each other laugh on a daily basis, and regularly engage in cooperative play (Elsie is definitely the ringleader, and Sylvie is very good at following her orders).

When she first wakes in the morning, Sylvie runs out of the bedroom yelling, "She-she!  She-she!" until she finds her big sis.  She loves to share kisses with everyone, and especially thinks it is important to give Elsie a hug and kiss before she takes her afternoon nap.  When Andy comes home from work at night, she literally sprints to the front door, yelling "Dadadadada!" a the top of her lungs and demanding to be held. 

Communication:

Words Sylvie says:
Mama, Dada, ma (milk), ja (yes), no, bottle, baby, down, up, more, food, book, ball, She-she or Esh (Elsie), shoe, nose, ear, woof (dog), meow (cat), Go (Pongo), out (outside), "all da" (all done), "all ready", Cece (Sylvie), foot, booberry (blueberry), flower (and a few more that I keep intending to add, then forget as soon as I sit down at the computer).

Signs and words Sylvie understands:
Too many to count!

Watch me grow:

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

12 months

 

15 months

And just for fun, Elsie at 15 months:

 

The amazing Papa Todd.

While driving home from school in an utter downpour:

E: "Mama, we aren't wet inside Kermit car, but Kermit is very wet!"
M:  "That's true."
E:  "How does Kermit go?"
M:  "His engine turns and makes his wheels go around.  Maybe next time Papa Todd is here, he can show you how a car works."
E:  "Papa Todd knows how cars work?  Wow!"
M:  "Papa Todd even knows how to make cars.  He can take a lot of little pieces of cars and put them together to make a new car that you can sit in and drive!"
E:  "WOW!  Do you think Papa Todd can make ME a car?"
M:  "Maybe you can ask him when you are older." 
E:  "Okay.  Papa Todd can make cars!  Wow...(thinks for a minute)...hey, MAMA!  Does Papa Todd know how to STOP THE RAIN, too???"