Bunny - no bottom :(

I just put Gabriella to bed with her bunny. No, make that two bunnies. We have two to alternate between, but she has discovered my hiding place for the clean bunny, and now sleeps with one under each arm fingering the tags as she drifts off to sleep. Tonight though she got very sad about bunny's lack of legs, bottom, and diaper. She was sure he had a dirty diaper but, alas, there was no bottom for wiping! (Mr. Bunny is a little pink blanket with arms and a head attached.)

She wants to dress him, she wants to change his diaper, but what is a girl to do when bunny has no bottom half?

I'm sorry your sad

Gabriella just did something that upset Josiah inadvertently. Here is her one sided conversation:

Ju-Siah, whats-a-madder?
Ju-Siah, why cry?
Ju-Siah, why sad?
Ju-Siah, what happen?

Repeat this string of questions 3 or 4 times with her head tilted to the side in a sweet voice. The first time he told her, the second he got mad and said "I told you already," and by the third he couldn't stop laughing.

Sweet to see her being compassionate and seeing the love that is modeled to her by the boys coming through in her actions.

New words, new ways

Gabriella's vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. I am amazed at what she can communicate. For instance, at the park yesterday:

"swing, slide, run, myself, my turn, I do it, where are you?, where doggie go?, squirrel, fire truck, more tomorrow, I love you, and NO! etc."

Right now she is asking for "ice cream?" at breakfast...

Anyway, I love all her words and carrying on conversations with her. I was a little sad when she mastered the "B" for Ben and Bunny instead of Nen and Nunny, but this week she started saying Joe-Siah. It sounds so grown up. As "Siah" was her first word, and she always says it so sweetly, I am going to miss hearing it.

Trunk-or-Treat

 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday was the annual trunk-or-treat at school. Our scuba diver, octopus and little bunny visited each car collecting treats, checking out the decorations, and playing little games some families had as part of their decorations. I had pictured Gabriella sitting with me and helping pass out candy, but she had other plans. Instead she took hold of Ben's plastic pumpkin (he had to come late) and took off with Josiah to gather treats, dance in front of cars with music and attempt to help some of trunks to redecorate. Grandma Millen and I took turns chasing her and passing out candy from our van. The boys loved acting out the octopus attacking the diver and diver attacking the octopus. All the kids had a great time and I loved seeing all the clever costumes.

Brookside photos

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

Our talented friend Judy took these fabulous pictures of our crew on Saturday. The kids were troopers and we had a great time enjoying the fall day. I am so happy with the pictures I couldn't wait to share!

Old Mac'on'ld's Pig

I'm home with Gabriella and Ben again today. After a short nap, G is sitting at the dining room table playing with Play-Doh.

I found out that she wanted to play with Play-Doh when she got excited and starting asking for colors, or to color and asked me to help her open one of the doors on the buffet. I opened the other door and pulled out the box with her special crayons and she shook her head at me saying, "No. Put them back," then proceeded to pull on the other door. I opened the door and revealed the Play-Doh containers. "Play-Doh?" I asked.

"Yah! Pwaydoe!"

Ah...

So we got out the P-D and cut out a green butterfly and a blue hippo. She picked up the butterfly and tried to put in her hair; reminded her of a hair box, I suspect. Then she started singing, "Ol' mac'on'ld farm. Piggy!" It's a pretty squat little hippo.

Now she's playing with the Play-Doh lids and containers, grunting at me when she wants help.

Rhyming?

On Wednesday morning, as she finished up her breakfast, Gabriella reached towards her sippy, which was sitting next to her on the dining room table. "Uhhh. Uhhhn!?"

Would you like your milk, Gabriella?

"Yah. Milky," was followed by a thoughtful expression, then she pointed towards the living room where she had watched Curious George the evening before. "Minky? Munky! Munky!" as she reached for the living room. Rhyming?


-kevin

Handy Manny

Gabriella was given a "Handy Manny" toy by some friends recently and he has been the favorite toy the last few days. Handy Manny has a tool kit with six tools, each tool is about three inches long and has a face on it. When attached to the tool belt, Handy Manny talks. Gabriella ran around yesterday in just a onesie saying "I'll fit it! I'll fix it!" and tightening the screws on every piece of furniture and cabinet. Today Handy Manny was "babied," rocked, cuddled and sung to. This evening she strolled him around the living room in her little stroller with a small hot pink purse in the crook of her arm filled with all the tools. It was a fun combination, wish I took a picture...

Flashback to Christmas Preparations Past

Stumbled across this video that I put together a year and a half ago. Lisa and the boys hard at work preparing Christmas treats...

Sittin' Pretty in Her Todd-ler Be-e-ed...

Back in late July or early August, it looked like we were going to have to make the switch to a toddler (aka. big girl) bed, but Gabriella got hung up in mid-escape one night. She was perched on the crib rail with one leg dangling down into the crib and uncertain where to go next. Apparently this shook her up enough to put the keebosh on her exit strategy...

Until about a month ago. During nap time, G summoned up her courage and took a leap (climb? clamber?)of faith, followed by a not-so-glorious gravitational FLOP! The flop alerted Lisa, who ran upstairs to find dear G in (literally) low spirits.

 


Fortunately, we had a bed sitting downstairs all ready to go and moved it up to her room that very afternoon. Gabriella practically jumped into bed and kicked us out of the room that first night, "'ight OFF!" "Nigh, nigh!..."

Naptimes have been much more challenging. After a couple of weeks of naptimes filled with plaintive please and full-on, heart-rending bawling, she is starting to settle down and has taken several of her naps laying right next to the door, cuddling her blanket and bunny after removing her socks and pushing them under the door. And so each day I sing and rock her for several songs, then tuck her in and leave.

The past few days have brought with them a regression of sorts, and after putting G down for her nap, she pops back out of bed and shouts through the door: "Mommy, where are you? Come cuddle me!" She repeats it over and over again, each time sounding more insistent and occasionally followed by "Daddy?" It is terribly hard to resist. So I usually give her a few minutes and then rock her some more.

How can we possibly deny requests for cuddles?!

-LT, edits/additions by KT

The Ledges on Labor Day

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

We had a great trip to the Ledges in September, one of three recent ones. We were grateful that Baba, Charissa and Grandma could join us. Kevin was there too, just on the other side of the camera.

Visiting Grandma Falk

 
 
 
 
 
 

Here are photos from a recent visit to Grandma Falk. We enjoyed a game of dominos, while Kevin and I took turns chasing Gabriella. Little G also sat and enjoyed some books with Grandma who was able to sneak in a few cuddles with our high energy girl. The last photo is of Gabriella feeding her baby- I love how she is helping her finish up!