Eleanor Has All The Words and Grandma Colleen Visits

Eleanor is such a dear and is making us so proud with all the things she's picking up almost instantaneously. Last week she learned how to wave while saying hi and has been doing it non stop ever since and last night at bed time I decided to show her how to blow a kiss and she picked that up instantly as well. She also is our little mimic and I have no idea how many words she has now because she repeats much of what we say back to us if we ask her to. She says things like "all done" and even a version of "help please" which is ridiculous for a child of her age to be able to say. I think she's even starting to say "I'm sorry" because Bradley has to apologize to her so frequently for knocking her over or stealing her toys. Oh, and she also kisses now! While saying "mah!" It's unbearably adorable and also happening four months earlier than it did with Bradley. Bradley was more into smashing and yelling for what he wanted than using overrated words. Honestly, he still is half the time.

Bradley running through the best puddle ever. I tried to tell him he couldn't play in it but then he wanted to bash his stick in it and I said yes to that and two minutes later this was where we were.

Other words that Eleanor can say: "hat" (while bringing me a hat and putting it on my head and then snatching it away and laughing), "hot", "down", "out", "ick", "hi kitty", "yumyum", "heart", "Daddy", "Mommy", "dog" (while bringing us her favorite doggy book and then cackling while Daddy reads it to her). And I know there are other words I'm forgetting to add to this list.

She's also walking down the stairs and has only fallen twice while doing so. Fortunately, Mommy has been around to catch her both times. Phew. Crazy child.

Crazy children being cute at the park together.

Eleanor feeds herself with her spoon sometimes now but she generally still needs some help. She's a bit of a stinker about giving the spoon back though. Being the good examples that we are, we egg her on by laughing whenever she does this.

We also laughed a bit hysterically when Eleanor was running around in the baby walker and Bradley was chasing after her, crying and yelling for her to stop so he could get on and she could give him a ride. She ran into him a few times at a pretty good speed but he found that funny. But then there was more crying as Eleanor gleefully ran all over the room WITHOUT HIM. Poor Bradley.  

Grandma Colleen came for a visit and we had such a good time. She's the craft guru so she does a fun craft or two with Bradley when she comes to visit and this time he had a great time coloring a tin foil covered can with ribbons creation and painting rocks.

Important work happening

Grandma is hilarious

Blowing on the ribbons

Rock painting. Or at least painting near a rock. It counts.

Apparently as Nathan was putting Bradley to bed the first night she was here Nathan told Bradley "I love you Bradley, do you love Daddy?" and Bradley said "Love gramma". I think Grandma melted a little when she heard that story.

We went to the park and that was quite fun as well, Grandma does crazy fun swing rides and helps check out all the cool pebbles.

Grandma played with the kids almost nonstop while she was here which was great because I was able to do a bunch of prep organizing photos for Eleanor's birthday party next week. 

However, things did get a little wild and unruly on Grandma's watch. Okay, it isn't her fault that Bradley likes to jump off the stairs. She did a great job watching over the kiddos!

Nathan has been recovering well from his hip surgery last week and Bradley has really been enjoying perks like watching shows on our Kindle with Daddy in Mommy and Daddy's bed. I don't know who is happier in this picture.

And we had a lovely Father's Day today. We went out for frozen yogurt in the afternoon and the kids were fairly adorable. The geniuses at the yogurt place were playing Frozen on a tv and we could barely get Bradley to leave. But we also were big fans of the frozen yogurt itself and the kids had a blast so we will certainly be coming back for more!

And here is Nathan taking one final Father's Day photo with the kids as he read to them at bedtime tonight. They loved it. Such good kids and such a wonderful Daddy!