23 Months Old!

Ellen is 23 months old and doing great! Here's what's new:

• Ellen's vocabulary continues to grow and she's speaking in more complex sentences. For example, on a cloudy morning she asked, "Daddy, where'd you put the sunshine?" And when we drove past a school bus last week she said, "Mommy, you like school buses, don't you?"
• Ellen knows all of her letters (and is getting better and better at the "ABC Song" and can count to 15.
• When asked, "What's your name?" Ellen responds, "Ellen Benscoter!"
• EVB started a new ECFE class earlier this month. She's having lots of fun so far and, like last class, she enjoys playing with the kitchen area and baby dolls best. And, she loves her teachers, Michelle, Carol and Karen (or as Ellen calls her, "Carrot").
• Ellen had another new first last weekend ... she rode on a merry-go-round. She was a little scared at first, but I think she ended up liking it.
• And, the biggest news is that Ellen is going to be a big sister in March!

Life is good and I can't believe my little baby is so close to turning 2!

One more month to go until the big 2!

Not so sure ...

I know Ellen will be a great big sister!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

Fall is officially here, but thankfully we were able to sneak in some final summer fun before the change of seasons:

Ellen made her first visit to the Minnesota State Fair. She loved looking at the animals ...

Sitting on the John Deere tractors ...

and she even braved the Giant Slide with Daddy!

Ellen also took one last dip in her pool and donned her swimsuit for some backyard fun ...

and enjoyed a sunny day at Lake Calhoun.

Now that fall is here, Ellen is excited about the leaves on the ground and PUMPKINS! (And, of course, her birthday, which is right around the corner.)