Catching Up With the Girls

Piper loves to tell you animal sounds when she sees pictures of them:  Sheep: Baa.  Duck: Kack!  Cow: Mooooooo.  Cat: Mow.

Piper does her best impression of a ghost

Piper talks non-stop gibberish, a complete language of her own.  The funny thing is that she knows exactly what she's saying.  The other day she saw a cat on TV and went nuts, babbling away, screeching and pointing at it.  She knew what it was and kept repeating a nonsensical word.  Then I said what does it say (I did NOT say the word cat) and she said "mow!".  She knew all along she was saying cat, I just couldn't understand her.

Can you tell that Ava is in the laundry basket that Piper is standing on?

The other night Lily said she wasn't tired.  She didn't have any yawns yet.

Ava has begun reading in earnest.  Her teacher sends her home with little Challenger-style mini-books that go over a letter sound.  Ava does very well at sounding out short vowel sounds and is so proud of herself when she makes it through all by herself (so am I).  I have also started picking up some super easy mini-books at the library too and she loves to pounce Elliott as soon as he gets home from work and offer to read her books to him.  She also likes to "read" books to Piper (the ones where she has memorized the words) which I love because wants you to read to her all day long.

Piper loves to eat whole apples (and say "cheese" at the camera, can't you hear her?)

Piper has a few self-appointed chores around the house.  She LOVES to throw away her own diapers after I change her and she has begun picking up after the dogs.  When they are done with their toys or their dinner bowls, she will collect them and place them on the counter.  The other day she brought Nana a book to read then went and fetched her glasses too.

Lily drew a picture of a spider

Lily can now get dressed, complete with socks and shoes, all by herself.  It may not always match or be on the right way, but she's got it. 

Ava loves Nana's dogs

Lily is almost done potty-training.  YEAH!!  She did it pretty much by herself, it is as if a lightbulb just went off.  She is even staying dry at night.  I am so proud of her (and excited that I have to buy diapers for one less child).

My little fairy

Piper has a temper.  A big one.  I think she may be the most challenging girl yet.  When something doesn't go her way, she screams bloody murder.  I have taken to just staying where I am when she screams, because she isn't hurt.  She is just throwing a fit over something.  If it's really important she will come and yell at you, telling you all about it.  Otherwise, I try and let them work it out amongst themselves.  She also loves to throw herself to the floor when things don't go her way, or lift her legs up so you can't set her down, or curl up in a ball so you can't pick her up and make her go somewhere.  She has a stubborn streak too and right now we are trying to train her not to climb up the changing table.  And stubborn is an understatement.

Piper is starting to say even more words - apple, Piper, Ava (sounds like A-ba), bye.

Hanging out with daddy on a Saturday