Cute Kids

Emiline is the most grateful 19 month old I've met. She says "Thank You" with enthusiams for everything without prompting, for everything you do and it's so sweet, it makes the helper/giver feel pretty awesome about themselves.

My youngest sister was here for the holidays and she calls people "sweetie" a lot. Emiline has been sick since Christmas and a listless bag of Dora-watching, snot-running, momma-snuggling, puffy-eyed toddler. Last night at bedtime she sort of collapsed on Eric's shoulder and she said "Night Sweetie" to me in the most pathetic voice.

The girls got a DVD that teaches kids about notes and the piano. Jane loves it, the music in it gives me a headache, but BOY is she excited about finding Middle C on every piano or keyboard around. And then she plays "C, D, E," while singing the notes. That's as far as we've gotten in the DVD. Just a few minutes ago she was playing their toy keyboard and singing "C, D, E. C, D, E" over and over. Then she must have got bored cuz she threw in a high "L!" after a while...

Jane is in that distraction phase at the moment. i.e. "Jane, go get a tissue" and she gets distracted at least every two feet on the way to the bathroom by pretty much everything around her. So, of course, we taught her the word "distracted" so we can discourage the behavior. Worked pretty well for a while but now Jane has caught on. "Jane, it's time to pick up your blocks" is followed by "Oh, no, Mommy. I got distracted" And she starts to play with them some more.

When Emiline wants someone to get or do something for her she reaches out her hand and says "Hold my hand! Hold my hand!" (always twice) but it sounds more like "ho ma han, ho ma han," especially with the cold she's had. Then when you grab her hand she says "pull!!!! pull!!!" and grunts and doesn't really pull just weakly tugs and excepts you to get up. Right then. Quickly. Or it's a melt down of tears (at least while she's been sick). Pretty cute, though.