Ellen's First Day as a Frog Friend

Ellen's second (and final) year of preschool has begun! She was more than excited to start in the Frog Room (having graduated from the Caterpillar Room, which she was in last year) and jump right into her new routine. Ellen's teachers this year are Ms. Barb & Ms. Nicole and it looks like there will be plenty of fun activities taking place in the classroom. Next year, Kindergarten ... Ah!

EVB: 4 Years + 10 Months Old!

Ellen is BEYOND excited about being *this* close (picture EVB with her little thumb and index finger almost touching) to being 5 and can't wait to be "a whole hand" old. While she waits anxiously for Oct. 27, Ellen has been busy sneaking in outdoor activities as the summer weather dwindles ... She's still enjoying riding her bike and scooter, playing on our play set, swimming in Omma & Boppa's pool and climbing to the very top of the giant rope web at "Spiderman Park" near our house. Ellen continues to be a drama queen and martyr, so we've been working on appropriate ways to express our feelings. (It's a work in progress.) In other news, Ellen is looking forward to starting preschool in the Frog Room and she recently spent the day at Minnesota State Fair for a special date with Mom & Dad. It's good to be Ellen and almost 5 years old!

Face art by Ellen

Taking a break to people watch at the Great Minnesota Get-Together

We all have our own way of eating a Pronto Pup ...

Giant Slide with Dad

... and Mom

Ye Old Mill

Ellen remembered these free apple magnets in the Horticulture Building from last year and her 2014 fair experience wasn't complete until we located them and chose just the right ones to bring home.

JEB: 29 Months Old!

Miss June Elizabeth is another month older and she's as awesome as ever! As JEB approaches the 2-and-a-half mark, it's more evident than ever just how different she is from how Ellen was at this age. Ellen was (and still is) content to sit quietly for an extended period of time reading a book, watching a movie or playing by herself. June, however, is constantly squirming and itching to get on to the next thing and she prefers to have a playmate. She keeps us on our toes, that's for sure! Here's what Junie has been up to lately:

• Testing out rides: June recently took her first spin on a few rides at Como Town and she loved it!
• Going to the movies: I took the girls to see "Rio 2" a few weeks ago, which marked June's first time in a movie theater. She did OK for the first 30 minutes or so, but after that it was all downhill. She spent the majority of the time wandering around the empty rows of seats and complaining that she was hungry/requesting snacks. I was pulling out all the tricks to keep her occupied and quiet; thankfully, there were only a few other people in the theater ...
• FINALLY loving water activities! After refusing to don a swimsuit or so much as dip a toe in a pool all summer long, June finally caved and put on her suit to try a local splash pad. Since then, we've visited two other splash pads and taken some dips in our kiddie pool as well as Omma & Boppa's pool. June loves to swim and is pretty fearless when it comes to putting her face in the water and jumping off the side.
• Making us giggle with her unique little voice, cute phrases and mispronunciations. June has always had a guttural tone and we finally decided that she sounds just like Gonzo from the "Muppets." So, June has a new nickname ... June is always saying funny things with lots of personality, but her newest favorite is, "Hmm, I don't 'sink' (think) so ..." in response to most questions or suggestions ... We also get a good chuckle out of June's request for her new favorite song, "How Much is That Doggy in the 'Wimbow?'"
• Participating in a hunger strike. Or at least it seems that way. June has been nothing more than a nibbler at meal times lately. However, she has yet to meet a salty cracker, chip or hummus she doesn't like. Thankfully she still manages to drink her breakfast smoothie (sneakily packed with fruits and plenty of spinach) each morning.

Eureka! This girl loves water!

"No, Mom, I promise I didn't splash my sister."

Thrilled to be behind the wheel ...

Hanging out with Boppa at the zoo

June's furry friend

Fearless ...

My snuggle buddy!

EVB: 4 Years + 9 Months Old!

Ellen is inching closer and closer to the big 5-year mark and she definitely looks like such a big kid these days. (Since she still has one more year of preschool, I have a feeling she's going to look SO grown-up when it's time for her to start kindergarten next year!) As a lover of all things outdoors, Ellen has been making the most of her summer days, which sadly are dwindling ... Here's what our little turkey has been up to lately:

• Bending it like Benscoter: Ellen played soccer in July and did a fantastic job! It seemed to be a better fit for her than T-ball since she was able to run around the whole time.
• Building on her biking skills: Ellen is increasingly more comfortable on her bike and even requested to try biking without her training wheels recently. EVB quickly figured out that she wasn't quite ready for a two-wheeler, but it was good for her to test it out. Maybe we'll try again before biking season is officially over.
• Whistling: Ellen has finally figured out how to (sort of) whistle and, oh boy, is she thrilled about this accomplishment!
• Continuing to show increased confidence in social settings ... We recently caught a kid-friendly performance at a local park and Ellen was all about participating and even went up stage (all on her own) to dance with other kids.
• Solo swimming: Ellen has been getting lots of practice swimming without her floaty in the shallow end of Omma & Boppa's pool and it has been so fun to watch her improve her skills. She's super proud of herself and we're very proud of her, too.

Ellen and a few soccer buddies

First attempt sans training wheels

EVB on stage (third from the right)

Little Fish!

JEB: 28 Months Old!

Little June isn't so little anymore (age-wise, at least--physically, she's still a tiny peanut!). She's suddenly capable of just about everything and I'm constantly reminding myself that she can do more than you'd expect from looking at her. She's petite, but by no means delicate ... a sprite, but with a personality of someone three times her size. Basically, she's a tiny ball of never-ending entertainment. Here's what our little lady has been up to lately:

• Coppin' a 'tude: June has been Miss Sassy pants lately and prefers to talk whilst shaking a finger or placing her hands firmly on her hips. There's also been a lot of "No, I don't want to" and "Hmpf. That's not fair." It's so hard to keep as straight face!
• Dominating playground equipment: June has mastered everything but the rock wall and Jacob's ladder on our swing set and she showed me how she can scale the mountain/rock-like structure at the local playground with ease. She also runs at warp speed across suspended bridges and has yet to meet a slide too big or too scary.
• Perfecting her pedaling. Recently, something finally clicked and June can now pedal her tricycle like a pro! We're feeling pride in our hearts and relief in our backs now that we no longer have to bend over and push her on her trike down the sidewalk. Woo hoo!
• Socializing. Like Ellen, June as grown leaps and bounds this summer in terms of social confidence and conversation skills. She's hardly ever shy around neighbors and will willing approach them to say hi (or to ask if she can pet their dog).
• Sharing secrets. Instead of cupping her hand at the side of her mouth, June covers her entire mouth with her hand (fingers spread wide) to tell us private messages.
• Stalling. June is a professional sidetracker lately, which means the bedtime routine (brushing teeth, reading books and singing songs) now takes about 7 hours and includes new steps, such as putting on and removing slippers multiple times, requesting a drink of milk, discussing (in great detail) every part of every picture in every book ...
• Refusing to wear a swimsuit. June seems to enjoy water, but she insists on being either fully clothed or completely naked (aka "naker buns") when she's around it. I've been trying for weeks to get June to don her swimsuit (or at least a swim diaper), but so far, no success. Hopefully we can figure this out before the summer is over. :)

EVB: 4 Years + 8 Months

It's been a busy month for Miss Ellen ... Thanks to play dates and sleepovers at her grandparents' houses and Park & Rec Pee Wee Sports, she has the fullest schedule in the family. Here's what she's been up to:

• Ballin': Ellen's spent the month of June learning that game of T-ball (with Dad) on Monday and Wednesday evenings. She did a great job listening to the coaches, waiting for her turn to bat and (sometimes) hitting the ball. She throws with her right hand, but bats lefty.
• Receiving visitors: Now, when the doorbell rings, it's safe to assume it's for Ellen. There's an assortment of neighborhood girls who come over looking to play with Ellen. It's pretty cute and Ellen seems to think it (she) is pretty cool!
• Meeting & greeting neighbors: Besides the group of little girls Ellen runs with, she started off the summer by chatting up the grownups on our street. She likes to stop her bike to talk to whoever might be out in their driveway. (Ellen has come out of her shell SO much in past few months. Gone is the shy girl who takes awhile to warm up ... EVB now is often the first to speak and she's articulate and very personable. We are very proud of her!)
• Pretending to jump the pond: Ellen likes an animated show called "Peppa Pig" about a British pig and her family. Well, Ellen now speaks with an occasional British accent and throws out British terms every now and then. For instance, the other day she asked me when we might take the "stabilizers" (what we Yankees call training wheels) off of her bike.
• Still loving "Frozen": I'm about ready to chuck the soundtrack CD out the car window, but Ellen still can't get enough of anything related to the movie. I recently caved and bought her an Elsa dress and Omma bought her the Elsa doll she's been longing for ... I thought Ellen was going to cry tears of joy; she was beyond excited.
• Being mesmerized by Muppets: We've watched a few old-school Muppet movies on Netflix and I recently introduced Ellen to "Muppet Babies" via YouTube, and she is in LOVE. For my sake, maybe Kermit and Gonzo can help move "Frozen" to the back burner for a bit.
• Lamenting over her employment status: For whatever reason, Ellen has been repeatedly bursting into tears over the fact that, as she puts it, she is 4-and-a-half years old and she doesn't have a job. This realization makes Ellen nearly inconsolable and she doesn't care how many times I tell her that it is not only not appropriate, but also illegal, for her to be employed at such a young age. All she wants is a job. So ... we've been discussing jobs she can help with around the house and she has also agreed to potty train her sister for me. Score!

 

Geting up close & personal with the stars of the Puppet Wagon

Lefty!

Painting a birdhouse one of her (adult) neighborhood friends made for her

I present ... Queen Elsa!

Father's Day 2014

A few pics from a great Father's Day celebrating a wonderful Dad ...