October Snapshots

* Wrecked the car, sold it, and got a new one

* Lots of family time: Pawpaw and Nonna came for a visit. Trip to St. Louis for Holly's marathon and visiting extended family. Ella and Avila especially had lots of attention from their aunts and uncle and 2bd cousins (or cousins twice removed?).  What a whirlwind weekend! So glad we made the trip. 

* Busy doing preschool, Godly Play, cooking lots of good foods, and some projects here and there. Ella's a savvy little egg cracker. ("Oh there's no seasells in these!")

* Ella and Elsie have been best friends again after months of very little interaction. Playing dolls, holding hands, being silly, possibly the start of squabbles. So fun to watch. Ella and Josie like to chase each other, too. Ella has also started playing with her friends Lilly and Sylvia a little bit.
*Bonfire at the Roebuck's with the McGills and Downeys
* Josh and Ryan went skydiving

Ella-isms

After saying goodnight to daddy lately, she follows up with a list of things to get from the grocery store. It usually involves apples and bananas. 

Praying with little Anglican prayer beads for the first time she started yelling closely at a bead "Dod! Dod! Tanks Dod!" Repeating The Jesus Prayer. "Tanks for my's tousins and Mama's tousins and Daddy's tousins and my's new tousins." "Dod pease bess Toe and Lilly." "Tankful for Dod's mercy to do to the docewy store." "I'm tankful for baba."

M:Why are you licking my hand?!

E: It's yummy!

M: What does my hand taste like?

E: Ice-ume. 

She's very concerned about Avila getting into the toilet

To daddy: "Are you tall? Are you as tall as the sky? Am I tall?"

M: "It's time to go to the race!"

E: "But I don't want to go!"

M: "Pawpaw's going to be there."

E: "But I DO want to go!"

8 Months

Oh my goodness, these months are flying by much too quickly!

14#8, 27"

*Standing very strongly, will clap and "dance" while standing; can stand from a squat while picking heavy objects up

* Still loves Ella's hair

* New sounds of "dada" and "wawa" and all kinds of babbles and sound combinations, may it may not have signed "All Done"

* Loves table foods of all kinds and uses her fingers to manipulate the food so she can bite with her gums

* So strong, happy, smiley, and intense

* Little snuggler, loves sleeping cuddled on my chest - I especially soak these moments in

* Loves to hold one hand out to those she sees and gets coy when they return the gesture

* Loves to crawl around and explore, puts everything in her mouth and resists all restraints: diapers, potties, clothes, and worst of all car seats! Thankfully she still enjoys being carried and, finally!, back carries. 

* Met her Pawpaw and Nonna for the first time

Pumpkin Patch

At Young's Dairy with the Brights