Updates... again. When will I write a REAL blog post again?

I know I say this fairly regularly, but Hubband and I are truly amazed at how quickly El grows and learns and changes. She has gotten at least 4 new words this week already, and it is only Tuesday! I have to laugh when she tries to say "down" as it always comes out "Noun". I figure this is an appropriate word for the daughter of a writer/editor. Similarly, "done" is "nun" (I wonder if she has my sense of humor....). A friend at church gave Ella a set of nesting bowls that also are a shape sorter. When she first tried to put the bowls back together she was getting very frustrated because she'd try to put the big one in the small one. Within about an hour, however, she was using trial and error and successfully building the entire tower and then nesting the bowls back down. This has become her favorite toy, and it will keep her interest for nearly 10 full minutes. As I type, she's sitting on the couch next to me with her Haiku Baby book "reading" to me. I took a break to read to her, too.

In other family news, we're in the process (hopefully) of buying a Honda Odyssey! It is far from new (a 2000, with 138000 miles on it), but its in good shape and the price couldn't be beat. Hopefully this morning we'll get final approval from the bank and go pick up MY car! I am trying to not get my hopes up too much that this will actually happen until we drive the thing home. Too much scope for disappointment, to paraphrase Miss Anne Shirley.

El has progressed to unfolding all the laundry, so I'd best get going. Also need to get ready so I can hit the library when it opens. I have some "deep thinking required" work that needs doing today and while I can sort of type a blog entry while doubling as a climbing tree for a toddler, work just isn't as easy to accomplish in such a setting!

Advancing in leaps and bounds

This week seems to be one of change and advancements on the part of the youngest member of our family. She has decided that one nap is MORE than enough for a big girl of 14 months (although she hasn't quite decided how long it will be... 1 hour? 3 hours? 30 minutes?). She also is learning and mastering more and more words and concepts. She knows her nose and eyes and ears and mouth and will say "NOoooeeee" and point at Mama's nose and then her own. She is learning what the animals say, and last night when Mama was reading her worship story, she listened to Mama say that the little lamb says "baaa". A couple of pages later, the lamb was again pictured and El pointed to the lamb in the book and said "BAAA". She also is starting to pare down her verbage when it comes to Duckies. No longer are they consistently "DUTDUT" (duckduck), as of this week they usually are just plain "DUT" or "DUTTIE" (ducky). She adores storytime at the library and has made a few new friends...and now recognizes so many things that it just amazes us on a daily basis. Anywho, that's the most exciting updates... there were cakes this weekend, and work is taking off for me (freelance contract through December!), and Hubband is in the middle of studio times and recording projects and final exams and prepping for training in St Louis (that he is GIVING, not RECEIVING) for his Navy time, and church meetings, and friends gathering and friends moving... you know, NORMAL life. >grin<

Happy Easter!