Summer Update

Annika is saying more and more words. Pooh, which means either a poop in her diaper or Emma's blue bear or the Winnie the Pooh sticker on her toothbrush. Bye bye is quite common. Mommy, Daddy and Nanny, which means Annie.  When I ask her a question she will say "No", usually with some force. If she wants to say yes, she will shake her head in the affirmative. It is so cute. The other day she busted out with the word boy. Sometimes girls and boys are both, boy. Just now from the back seat she heard me say I really have to pee. So she says, Mama pee. Mama peepee.
The book that Emma got from Tom and Karen with the music box is a favorite. She asks for help. Help, hop hop and up all sound very similar so we have to pay attention to the context clues. She does not always want to listen to the story, but she does know some pages. Like she says me (which is how the book starts). and she will say and pie. We had some strawberry pie (after the girls and I went strawberry picking. They both ate a lot! Annika was covered in strawberry juice and did not actually contribute any of the berries that we bought.) and enjoyed eating it for dessert and breakfast. Annika loved saying pie, even after it was all gone.
When Annika wants us to stop what we are doing and play with her or read to her, she finds us, pushes us and says go repeatedly until we follow her. She glances over her shoulder to make sure we are following the leader.
Here you go and thank you sound very similar. She will say both  phrases (or is it one?) for many different situations. Just now she dropped Pooh and was saying Pooh with a plaintive tone. After I returned the bear to her she said thank you, Mama. If she wants something she will say here you go while pointing. She will hand you things in this same way. But she has the tendency to be an Indian giver, getting upset if you don't give it back promptly.

We finally turned her car seat around thinking that some of the car angst could be due to the fact that she was watching the back of her seat and landscape cruising by backwards. For our trip to Great Grandma's that theory was blown to bits. It wasn't the worst trip but any amount of screaming makes it far worse than plain okay. When she climbs in the car she rushes for the little seat between the two car seats and plops herself down, happily. She is not quite so happy to be strapped into her seat. Who can blame her? If given the opportunity she will try to climb over the middle front tray into the front or scramble in the passenger door and press the buttons and turn the knobs, frantic to get the chance before being whisked away.


Emma was calling herself a pancake today after realizing that cookies can sometimes be thin (and not just chunky).
Daddy: wow, Emma you are one smart...
Emma: little cookie.
Daddy: that's right, you are the cookie.
Emma: Well, I am the cookie because cookies are thin and I am skinny.
Daddy: Cookies can be thick, like big chunky cookies.
Emma: Oh yeah. Well I am a pancake then because pancakes are thin. Annika is a brownie.
Mama: Yeah, Annika is a brownie.

Both girls love the water.!  After taking swim lessons this winter, Emma can handle herself in pools just fine. Annika has no fear and would walk off the edge into the water if allowed to do so. At Grandma and Grandpa's Annika refused to sit in the infant float seat after getting a small taste of freedom. Steve and I both had the experience of holding her while she bounced on the stairs, tried to walk off the deepest one and laughed herself silly. When I talk about the pool or going swimming she makes a swishing sound while moving her arms in a freestyle stroke pattern (or an odd doggy paddle movement).  Annika likes playing with her water at the table as well. If she is done eating but is left alone for just a tad too long she commences Stage One of Water Play- commence water bottle emptying (on her tray). Or she will take a big swig of water and send it out of her mouth in a fountain. Then if we can't get there fast enough she will quickly swipe her hand back and forth, sending the water out to meet the floor, table, her legs, the dog. It's a water world!

Emma got to see a fireworks show for the first time ever this Fourth of July. We went to the Kniola's annual party and had a blast. Emma dressed for the occasion in her red tee that reads "you crack me up". We went swimming and Emma went down the water slide multiple times and loved it. Annika was happy for a long time in the plastic kiddie pool on the edge. She also enjoyed jumping on the pool steps and splashing Mama. We went back with Uncle Steve and Aunt Darcy to their neighborhood for the fireworks show. Emma covered her ears a few times but really liked the display.  Shortly after she actually said that she was very tired and wanted to go to bed- another first! So I took her back to the house and got her ready for bed. Unlike her sister, she slept through the random cracks and booms of neighborhood DIY firecrackers. Annika went to sleep around 9 (super duper late and she was very angry) and woke up relatively happy at 5 am. We left like thieves in the night by 6 am to keep from waking the entire house. Sheesh.

So there you have a very random summary of things since May. Oh so many stories and adventures to try to remember!