Latest Ellie-isms

First of all, we get lots of questions, some directed at us, some just directed out into the world. She likes to ask people/objects "what are you doing?" or "how ARE you?" She's also interested in what strangers names are lately. But we don't get a lot of "what's that," which surprises me, as I feel like that's a pretty common toddler question. Still, it's pretty funny to see a toddler enthusiastically ask some water on the driveway "what are you DOING, water?"

She continues to be big on saying thank you randomly. Though, she's saying "thanks mom" lately, and I keep telling her to say mommy. She's too young to be calling me mom, I think. For a few weeks now, she's known that her dada's name is Tim, but couldn't tell you mine. In the past week or so, she's figured out what mine is, but she calls me Mega.

As you can see, there is a lot of dancing in our house. A lot of singing too. She especially likes to sing in her stroller when we walk, and will randomly start in on one of her songs from music class (which she calls Miss Elena songs. Mostly when she's whining for them in the car.) She also likes "Single Ladies" by Beyonce and "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Ray Jepson. In fact, the other day she was in the car, whining her face off, and I said "what do you want, Single Ladies, or Call Me Maybe" and from the back seat came a tearful "Single Ladies!" We sing a lullaby to her every night, and the other day she was having a rough time going down for nap, so I picked her up and made up a new little ditty to sing to her, and now at nap time she will ask me "you sing my new song?" The lullaby is more important than reading Good Night Moon, it appears.

She continues to be so in love with Thor, and is finally figuring out how to truly be gentle with him. She pets his head, has mastered scratching him under the chin and she will curl up next to him on the floor to pet him. He genuinely seems to like her now. Lulu would still prefer if Ellie went and lived outside, but she doesn't truly like anyone other than Tim and I, and continues to get crabbier in her old age.

I just adore how funny and sweet she is. Yesterday morning she crawled up in bed with us, as she is wont to do, and asked if she could give us kisses. Then she started repeating "I love you too dada. I love you too mama." My favorite is when she runs over and asks "hold me!" Second in cuteness is when she really wants something and clutches her hand and goes "oh please!" The oh is what does it in for me.

Also funny, this morning I was changing her diaper and she pointed out the scrape on her knee by saying "I have a little boo boo. But it's okay. I'll live." Apparently she listens to me when I tell her to shake things off! I also like when she tells me "it's okay mama," or "no problem!" (particularly because problem sounds like plolblem. Sort of like how we are all a flamily.) Also random and weird, the other day in the car she kept telling Tim she was sorry, and when he asked her what she was sorry for, she blurted out "I don't like the forest!" Well, good thing you're in the car on a freeway then, kiddo.