Biiiig mess

Miss Evelyn has a cold these days. She refuses to nap, goes to bed early, and has trouble sleeping. Good thing she is still adorable.

This morning she climbed out of her clippy chair on the counter to reach the butter. She eats butter. While on the counter, she knocked the bowl of eggs (ready for scrambling) onto the floor. She announced, "That's a biiiiig mess!" ...and it was.

Welcome back Mama

This week I took my first trip away from Evelyn overnight. I travelled to Oklahoma City for three nights. Evelyn did just fine; she talked to me on the phone in the evenings. "I go Gym'ree," she exclaimed. "Is fun!" When I came home, she jumped a lot. That night she slept very well, with her hand twisted up in my hair.

Thursday morning before work, she dragged Daddy and me from the kitchen to the living room for "Ring roun' Rosie." After a few games of that, we switched to marching around in circles, singing "Pop! Goes the Weasel." That was a hit. "Mama, I wan' more fun circles!" she dragged us back over and over for "Pop! go a weasel."

Hold you?

Yesterday she said to Nana, very clearly, "Nanny, I want some hold you." Meaning, I want you to hold me for a while. It was sweet.

She likes to talk on the phone. Yesterday she talked to Daddy, Paw-paw, Mama Cat, Aunt Bunny, and Jenny. Jenny is my friend, and whenever she comes over, Evelyn yells, "Jenny! Jenny!" She thinks Jenny comes over to see her. She may be right.

Sentences? We have paragraphs

Evelyn's speech is improving every day. Yesterday at bathtime she told me, "No, I wanna watch TV." She is not so clear that strangers can understand, but she puts each word in the sentence. Sometimes she even uses articles.

Yesterday while I laid on the couch, she walked up and said, "Mama play toys?" I repeated, "I play with toys?" and she acted like it was my idea. "Okay!" and she walked off to her new toy house, ready for me to follow.

The other day she stood up in her high chair and pointed emphatically at my cup and Nana's cup in turn, saying, "This is Mama coffee! This is Nana coffee!"

Oh, and she sings several songs now. Baa Baa Black Sheep, the ABCs, a scale (aka "Do Re Mi"), Jingle Bells, and of course, "That's Elmo's World." Before you get too excited, she doesn't get all the words to any of the songs, and her scale bears no resemblence to the correct notes. Jingle Bells, for instance, is "Jing-a bell, Jing-a bell, all way!"

Take it off

Yesterday Evelyn sat on the floor and pulled on her big toe. "Take big toe off," she said, and pulled on it. "You can't take your toe off," we told her, "It's attached to your foot." She pulled on her pinky toe. "Take little toe off?" "No, that one is attached to your foot, too." She pulled on her foot. "Take foot off." "Don't take off your foot," we told her. "It is part of you!" She put her hands under her chin at the sides of her head and pushed upward. "Take head off!" We were really laughing by this point. We told her that her head doesn't come off. She pulled her hair. "Take hair off?" Then back to her feet. "Take feet off." She pulled at each one. "But your feet help you jump and run." She stood up and jumped and ran.

Our power went out in the wee hours of Friday morning. It is still out (it's Monday) and may be a few days longer. We're staying at a friend's house not far away. Evelyn is unnerved by the power outage, but she is adjusting well.

Thanksgiving

Evelyn and (Mama and Daddy) went to Chattanooga for Thanksgiving, to Great Celia's house. Oh, what a big time she had. She loved all her cousins, and her grandparents and aunts and uncles. Ellie and Faith played with her endlessly. She followed Paw-Paw around the house. She went roller skating (and really skated!) and rode a new electric scooter. She explored new places and played outside. She liked the dogs and the cats. She met more cousins at Great-Great Faith's house.

One, two, Zerbert!

Evelyn gives Eric zerberts (raspberries) when she finds him laying on the floor. She pushes his shirt up and says, "One. Two. Zerbert!" and then pththththt on his belly. Then "Mama turn," and I give him a zerbert.

Yesterday she wanted a flashlight off the dresser. She asked for it several times before I gave it to her. Then she told me, "Good job!" Later she balanced the flashlight on its end, to make a light on the ceiling. When it wobbled, she told it, "Careful. Careful light."

Last night on the walk we saw a raccoon. Evelyn woke up talking about it this morning. She told Nana all about it at breakfast. "Saw raccoon. Racoon... run away!" with lots of hand motions.

Paw-Paw and Uncle Jason visit

This weekend Kerwin and Jason came from Kentucky. Evelyn loooved "Un-ka Da-shun." He was the best thing since Daddy. She climbed on him and chased him around the house and insisted that hang out at bathtime. She was happy to see Paw-Paw too, but had difficulty getting his attention sometime. Oh, and of course she enjoyed seeing "Mean dog." Mean Dog did not enjoy her, however.

Singing

Evelyn has started singing songs. She sings, "Baa baa black sheep have wool, yesah yesah full." She also sings "That's Elmo's World" and "The Baby Bop Hop."

She doesn't carry a tune like Rachel did at that age, but it is still cute.

I gave her a really bad haircut this morning. Her hair is officially past the stage where a quick snip to her bangs is sufficient for a trim. After this grows out, we'll take her to a hairdresser for her next trim. That'll be at least four months; it's a bad cut.

Baby Dragons

Yesterday we took our little Zombie Sheep to a neighbor's house for a Halloween party. Many other babies were there, all younger than Evelyn. Most were 3-6 months. They looked so... stationary.

Twin one-year-old boys were dressed as dragons, big puffy purple dragons with wings and tails. Evelyn liked them. "Tail," she said, and pointed at the dragon's tail. "Where's the dragon's dorsal spine?" I asked her. She looked at me for a few seconds, then walked over to the dragon, pointed at the spikes on his tail, and said, "Dor-al pine!" All the parents were very impressed. Yay Evelyn! Good, practical knowledge of dragon anatomy.

Sheep and Zombie Sheep

Evelyn's halloween costume has arrived. See pics on her picture page.

Yesterday Nana took her to a farm to see sheep and pigs and goats and tractors. Evelyn loved it. Nap? Who needs a nap? We have sheep!

Last night she wrestled with Daddy. She tackles him and gives him big zerberts on his belly. When I reach for her belly, she flees the room, runs around the circle, and returns for me to threaten her again. When I get too close, and she's cornered, she lets out a Zombie Sheep ba-a-a-a-a-aaa. Gasp! Scared! Zombie sheep!

Coming of age at Wal-Mart

She is a big girl at the store now. At Wal-Mart yesterday she demonstrated her grasp of a few new concepts. In the check-out lane, she grabbed candy from the shelf and put it on the conveyor belt. "Have it," she says.

In the lobby, she saw a train and a car with Elmo in it, both kiddie rides. Previously, she was content to sit in the rides; she didn't want them to move. Now, she climbs in and says to her Daddy, "More penny." (All coins are pennies to her.) She wanted him to insert quarters to make the ride go. "All gone pennies," we told her, and she climbed down. "Bye-bye train. Bye-bye Elmo."

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Another new sentence for today: "Nanny sucker!" She knows who will give her whatever she wants.

Takeaway

Last night in the bath, Evelyn holds the yellow cup out to me and says, "Want it?" I reach for it, and she pulls it back at the last minute and laughs. Then she holds it out, I reach for it, she pulls it back at the last minute. Repeat.

Where did she learn this game? She claims it was from Nanny, but Nanny denies it. Maybe it was those three-year-olds she hung out with on Monday night. Those older boys, always a bad influence!

Manners

She now says, "You're welcome" when she gives us something. It's adorable. She doesn't wait for the "thank you," just hands me something and says, "ya wekah."

Other times, she'll fart, and say, "Fart! Shoo-ee" and laugh. Then she says, "Mama fart." She insists that I fart. I can't fart on demand, Evelyn, sorry. How about a fake burp? I tried, "You fart." She pressed her lips together and turned her face red trying to fart.

Two nights this week she slept all the way through in her own bed! That's two more than ever before.

Pants on, pants off

Evelyn is learning how to dress herself. Just this weekend she put her own shorts on, then took them off, put them on, took them off, etc. This morning she did it with her pants. She even picked them out herself. She works on shirts, too, but those sleeves are tricky.

This morning it is very cool outside. Nana picked out some nice warm fleece pants with pockets. Pockets! Now Evelyn can put pennies in her own pockets. She is thrilled. The pennies don't disappear when she puts them there, unlike her mouth.

Last night she slept in her own bed from 9:30 to almost 7! Hurray Evelyn!

Yesterday evening she announced "Poop!" before she pooped, and then pooped and peed in the Cinderella potty. Yay Evelyn!

Weekend in the country

This weekend we went to a retreat for Friends of Missouri Midwives. It was in a state park in southwestern Missouri. The country was lovely. Evelyn loved the lake, with all its boats and its rim of rocks. She could throw rocks into the lake all day. She played with the other children. She saw a raccoon. She watched Bob the Builder all the way there and back. She liked the little babies.

In the little house where we stayed, there was a Murphy bed in the living room, where Nana slept. Evelyn loved it. Once she knew it was there, it had to be down the whole time.

On Sunday she played in the rain and splashed in mud puddles.

This morning when I left for work, she said, "Bye-bye" matter-of-factly. No fuss; she was happy to play with Nana.

Latest word: "Munch" with all sounds clearly enunciated
Favorite animal: whale
Latest body part: eyelash
Latest toy: Play-doh

Romance

Saturday night at a restaurant, Evelyn played peek-a-boo with a little boy about her age. He stuck his head over the top of his booth to peek at her as she sat between us. Oh, the excitement.
Before leaving, we walked Evelyn over to where the boy was sitting. When they saw each other, they squealed. He hugged her and kissed her. She wasn't sure how to react to this. They jumped up and down together. Then they took off. It's too early to run away together, guys!

Latests

I almost forgot...

Latest feat: splat!
Latest word: popsicle
Latest body part identification: hip
Latest toy: Little Tikes flintstone car

Splat

This weekend we stayed in town and visited with friends. Evelyn is talking more and more. She now attempts to call people by name. We visited Martin and Stacey this weekend, and Evelyn said, "Ma-in, 'mere. Splat." Meaning, "Martin, come here and splat in the beanbag." Everyone splatted in the big beanbag, especially Evelyn.

She has a new favorite song: "baa baa sheep." It's Raffi singing Baa Baa Black Sheep. We listen to it over and over and over in the car.

Yesterday, Drake ("ake") and Erin ("eh-in") came over. They're five and seven. Evelyn ran after them toward the playground, then fell and faceplanted on the sidewalk. Splat! Ouch. She busted her lip and scraped her face and knees. Now she has a fat lip, a bruise, and some new boo-boos. She recovered rapidly with some help from a "pah-uhl" (popsicle). This morning she remembered that popsicle and asked for another one.

The moral of the weekend is: Beanbags are better than sidewalks for splatting.

Back to normal

Evelyn had a blast for the last two weeks with her Aunt Bunny and Uncle Seth. Then last weekend Mama Cat and Pa-Pa visited, and she was even more excited. Then Nana came home too, and she was so thrilled that sleep was impossible.

Thank you to Kent for installing a ceiling fan in Nana's room! What a great surprise. It is soooo cooool and niiice in there now.

Latest feat: somersault
Latest word: arnica
Latest body part identification: nipple
Latest toy: baby doll highchair