Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Month 24

Dear Elle,

You had your 3rd Easter. You were only 10 days old at your first Easter! This year you were hunting for eggs and baskets and eating chocolate like it was your job! You got tons of puzzles and games and pajamas and candy from everyone that loves you. You are so lucky.




The other night I took stitches out of your chin while you were sleeping. How the heck did you get stitches in your chin? Well, Daddy was watching you one afternoon and you fell up the stairs and bumped your chin on the step. Daddy took you to the ER and you got 2 little stitches in your chin the day before your 2nd birthday party at Tot Town. It didn't slow you down one bit, you ran around with all your friends, Parker and Natalie, Winnie and Vern, Jillian and Amanda, Little Jillian and Bryson and Lucas.  Grandma and Grandpa and Auntie and Uncle were there, too. You wore a shirt with a cupcake that said, "Birthday Girl" and jeans and a tutu. You played in the grocery store, you liked to scoop up all the fake apples and put them into the cart all at once. Maybe you wanted to make applesauce? You went down the slide a bajillion times and then we had pink and green Dora and Boots cupcakes that you and Mommy made and we sang Happy Birthday and you were so excited!

You are even more into Dora if that's even possible and every day this week you woke up talking about Coney Island and chocolate ice cream. Dora and Boots went to Coney Island and it's all you can talk about so we are planning a trip to go there, too. And get ice cream.

Our new house in Redding is almost done and you call it, "Elle's house". We go there sometimes and you play in your room and I can just see you as a little girl growing up in there, playing house with your friends and your pink play kitchen, or all spread out on your bed reading books and listening to music and eating rice cakes and peanut butter, your favorite snack. (Never ever locking Mommy out of your room, by the way, or having boys up in there.)  Mommy is excited for Christmas at the new house, and you can wake up in your new room (in your Dora jammies, of course) and sneak down the stairs to see what Santa has left you under the tree. I have waiting all my life for Christmases with you and Daddy.




 We got you a little potty and we talk about the potty all the time and you run and sit on the potty with your clothes on and sometimes naked but you aren't ready to go pee pee on it yet, and that's okay. We watch "Elmo Potty Time" and you think its so funny when Grover sings a duet with Elmo and you do your best growly Grover voice and you say,"Hello, Everybody!!" When we get ready for bath and you are naked and running around you say, "My body! My body!" ... and I say, "I see a hiney..." and you said, " Do you want to bite it?" And yes, I do!

You repeat nearly everything we say. You say it with the same inflection, it's uncanny. Yesterday you said, "What's that?" and I said, "Well, it's a... air conditioner" and now you can have the whole conversation by yourself where you ask yourself what that is, and then you say what I said, the same exact way I said it. You're brilliant. You can count to 20, count to 10 in Spanish, you know all the letters, big and small and the sound they make. You know all the colors, even grey and white. You can put on and take off socks and shoes by yourself. You accessories with headbands and necklaces. You brush your own teeth and wash shampoo out of your hair in the bath. At 2, you are ready for Kindergarten.

We go on walks and look for bugs and dogs and flowers and listen for birds. You know the difference between crows and ducks and geese. Nana and Papa came to stay for a few days this week and you got some time with Izzy and you got to feed her bones and you think that is just awesome. You laugh with your entire body. You didn't figure out that she will eat anything off you plate that you don't want, so I'm glad you didn't try to stuff her with broccoli or kiwi. Maybe you will get a puppy someday. Someone to run with in the backyard, to sleep on the floor next to you and keep your company while you are falling asleep.

We read about 309 books a day, you really like Dr. Suess and lately you are loving, "Go Dog Go", "Polly's Pink Pajamas" and "A Color of His Own." You finish the ends of the sentences. I wonder if i will still be able to recite them from heart when you are old enough to read these letters yourself. Probably. They are pretty much rubbed into my brain with permanent marker.

You can run, and jump and kick a ball. You can bounce it and roll it. You try to blow bubbles but usually end up spitting on the bubble wand.  You love to run and pop them. You know you are supposed to wear a hat out in the sun so you, "Don't get sunburn" and when you wear a hat in the rain, you think it's for the same reason.

 You see the world as a magical place for you to live fearlessly and love recklessly and I'm learning so much from you.

Love,
Mommy