Rhyming...Sounds like Timing, Chiming, Nickel & Diming,

One last post to finish the day. Amelia LOVES to rhyme words. She often will take the last word of the sentence I just spoke and figure out all the words that rhyme with it. Here is a typical conversation we have about 80 million times a day.

Me: "Amelia, do you want to help me wash the dishes in the sink?"
Amelia: "Sink, like bink?"
Me: "Yes, sink sounds like bink."
Amelia: "And dink and fink and rink and tink and zink."
Me(trying to use real words): "And drink and think and..."
Amelia: "And pink and link and shrink."

Then we start all over with a new word. It's cute the first time she does it each day. But, can you imagine having to rhyme your words all day long? Welcome to my life.

Artistic

The kids at our neighborhood park often play with sidewalk chalk. The other day Hannah showed Amelia how to draw people... and Amelia, thinking this a brilliant idea...much better than drawing squiggly lines...has taken to drawing these stick figures everywhere.

Here is a card she made for a friend for his birthday. Look closely. She made a rookie artistic mistake and drew with green pencil on orange paper...it does not photograph well.

Amelia also learned how to write her name this week, except for the lower case E. Here is the card signed by the artist.
And this is our family portrait colored with pastels (oh, ok, chalk) by Amelia. The artist is missing from the portrait. She's not quite ready to do a self-portrait.
Yesterday Amelia colored over the faces of the people and said she was eating them. So weird!

Crawling

Miles turned 10 months old last week and is growing so fast! In the past few weeks he has learned to crawl, wave (hi, bye, and goodnight) and clap. He loves exploring our house...especially any areas where there are electrical cords or bookshelves full of books.

Miles is incredibly friendly with strangers...which is weird after having Amelia who still won't talk to any of Chris' friends.

Miles really, really likes his Dad. He will follow him around the house, laugh at him, beg to be picked up, snuggle with him before bedtime, etc. Amelia NEVER did this, so Chris is really loving the attention. And, if Chris plays the guitar Miles is never far away.

Amelia's Birthday Party

We'd talked about Amelia's 3rd birthday for months...discussing every detail from the guest list to the food, invitations and games.

So, you can imagine the devastation when Amelia woke up with pink eye the morning of her party. We called all her friends and rescheduled for the following Friday...her actual birthday...and the day after we got home from Disneyland.

We held the party at a nearby park and put up some yellow streamers and balloons (Amelia's favorite color).

First we decorated party hats.

Then we played Amelia's favorite party games (originally taught to her by her Grandma Gaylene at her New Years Eve Party): freeze dance, hot potato, and red light/ green light.

We ate sugar cookies with yellow frosting and juice boxes. And then we sent everyone home with a CD of Amelia's favorite songs.


And the best part was that Amelia's Uncle Todd and Uncle Eric (who according to Amelia, only have a little bit of hair like Miles) got to be at the party.

Disneyland

For Amelia's 3rd birthday we took a trip to Disneyland. We spent one day at Disneyland and the next at California Adventure. Amelia completely enjoyed herself. We spent the night in Anaheim at the Ayes Hotel (do yourself a favor if you are ever in Southern California and need a hotel...stay in an Ayres...not expensive and so, so nice).

Here are a few photos:

On the way to Disneyland.

Our first picture at Disneyland.

Amelia even had fun waiting in the lines - though we never waited more then 20 minutes.

Here is Miles enduring the end of the day. He did not enjoy himself...since he was sick...and couldn't nap.
Who the heck am I waving at? At least Amelia knew where to look.



Amelia's favorite ride: the teacups. She just giggled and giggled the entire ride. We went on this several times.
Dumbo, of course.

Making a quick phone call.
We took Amelia to one of the gift shops at Disneyland and told her should could pick out anything she wanted for her birthday. She picked out the $8.00 Ariel sippy cup and a lollipop. Lucky us.

Miles got a Winnie-the-Pooh. Amelia calls him Pinnie the Pooh.



On the way home from Disneyland we let Amelia eat her lollipop. She could barely keep her eyes open about 10 minutes into the drive and handed the half-eaten lollipop over. And fell immediately asleep. She didn't move a muscle till the next morning. We consider that a successful trip.

Ridin Along In My Automobile

Todd always takes the best pictures when he stays at our house.