EVB: 4 Years + 6 Months Old!

Ellen is officially 4 and a half! As she'll tell you, that is half way to 9! Yikes! EVB is doing just swell ... Here's what she's been up to:

• Treating June more like a playmate (and partner in crime) than a bothersome little sister
• Enjoying her new shoes, which according to Ellen, make her run SUPER fast
• Still obsessing over everything "Frozen"... Thankfully, Mr. Easter Bunny was able to procure a "Frozen" figurine set comprised of all the main characters from the movie.
• LOVING the new play set in our backyard. According to Ellen, it's "amazing" and "even better than my bedroom."
• Making the most of her final days of preschool before summer vacation. Preschool has been such a great outlet for Ellen; I think she's going to really miss seeing her friends and teachers each week.
• Cracking us up, per usual. Ellen recently told Adam he was "a chip off the old block" and informed me that her task of breaking up pretzels for a recipe she was helping me with was "not only a slow business, but a boring business."  

 Buddies

 

Because of their John Deere-esque green and yellow colors, EVB refers to her new tennis shoes as her "tractor" shoes, so she thought she was super cool to be wearing her shoes while sitting on a John Deere tractor at the Minnesota Zoo.

A ladder!

A slide!

 

 A tire swing!

Swinging with Grammy!

Easter 2014

Our Easter festivities ... in pictures: 

JEB: 25 Months Old!

Wow, it's already been a whole month since June hit the 2-year milestone! And, it's been a busy one ... About three weeks after the crib-jumping fiasco and with many long, sleepless nights under our belts, I think Junie is FINALLY getting the hang of falling asleep in and staying in her new toddler bed. We've had two consecutive nights of 12+ hours without so much as a peep from Little Red. Let's hope this trend continues! Here's what else June has been up to since turning 2:

• Continuing to show an interest in using the toilet. June will ask to go to the bathroom on her own and has had some successful visits to the loo. She's also starting to stay dry for longer periods of time (e.g., an entire morning out at the zoo, through her nap, etc.). I think we'll try the whole potty training/learning in earnest sometime this summer.
• Mastering puzzles. June's small motor skills are impressive, as is her ability to put a puzzle piece in the right spot on the first attempt.
• Making progress on her letters. June is getting even better at letter recognition and the ABC song is currently one of her favorites.
• Obsessing over routines and rituals. We may have contributed to this in our attempt to establish a consistent bedtime experience, but June is very particular about how her bed is set up (location of her pillow, blankets, etc.), the "buddies" she shares her bed with (faves are Ollie, Elmo and as of late, Caterpillar) and the books we and she must read before turning out the lights ("Llama, Llama Nighty Night," "Jamberry," "Sophie's Big Bed" and "I Love You Through and Through"). June also insists on being serenaded with "Alligator King," "Frosty the Snowman," "Mr. Sun" and "You Are My Sunshine" in that exact order. And, June is now the proud owner of a unicorn Pillow Pet Dream Lite, which must be turned on before we leaver her room ...
• Still asserting her independence. June, like most 2-year-olds, wants to do everything without assistance. This now includes getting up into the car and into her car seat as well as getting dressed. As a result, I've learned to allow for extra time in our getting-ready routine to account for tears, tantrums and a final concession to allow Mom to help.
• Getting more teeth! The tiny tips of those four incisors we've been waiting for have finally poked through. :)
• Loving the outdoors. We took advantage of the recent warmer weather and June loved getting some fresh air. She is very speedy and enjoys running, sliding and getting practice pedaling her trike.
• Cleaning. In addition to her love of picking up toys and putting them in their proper place, June is a fan of laundry and floor care. Whenever she sees me with a laundry basket she asks, "Can I help you?" And, as soon as I start sweeping the kitchen floor, June runs to the playroom shouting, "I'll get my sweep" and returns with her toy broom in hand.
• Being as adorable and sweet as ever, despite some angry, all-out devilish moments.