Campbell-isms & Little Song Bird

Campbell has taken a verbal leap. She doesn't have that little baby sing-song voice like she used to (I'm so sad!). Gabe and I were watching some video from April & we couldn't believe how little she looked, how short her hair was & how her voice had changed. I've been accumulating on little scraps of paper the things she says, and I'm finally getting around to getting them on the blog..

• I can't believe the booster (seat) is so dirty.
• Eigh, eigh, eigh (I don't know exactly how to spell it...but do you know that expression? She sounds like an old Finish lady saying it - hilarious!)
• (After throwing food on the floor) Oh that's fine, Mama, you can clean it up by yourself.
• (As she's running by me) Mama, I don't have time to talk to you.
• I'm busy so I can't play with you guys now.
  
• Not now, I'm working on my project. 
  
• Mama, thank you for being so patient. (I feel better about this one than the previous three.)
  
• (This morning as we are looking out our front window at our first substantial snowfall.) Campbell: YE-AH! There's enough snow! (I was thinking she was going to say to build a snowman because that's what she's been wanting to do & I keep telling her we need more snow.) Me: Enough for what? Campbell: Now there is enough snow for winter!
  
• The snow is bEAUtiful (She really accentuates the EAU)
• Um, I love it! (Eating oatmeal - or "oakmeal" as she has been calling it lately)
• It's upside up! (I think she either meant right side up or upside down.)
• Driving by the daycare she used to go to. Gabe: That's where you went to daycare when you a little baby. Campbell: Yeah, that's where I went when I was Blake's age, when I was Campbell Palmer.
  
• I just gave the lamp a kiss. That sure nice of me. 
• I put labels on our toy boxes & Campbell came downstairs in the morning, took one look at the boxes & said: Hey Mama! The boxes got names!
• I gave Campbell a little snack of cereal & I snuck (or so I thought) a chocolate covered almond for myself. She looked at me & said: What you got there, Missy?
• The rule for you is not to take off my bandage. (She had a band-aid on her leg & didn't want me to take it off.)
• That's what I'm whining about! (When I figured out she wanted yogurt for breakfast.)
• Are you kidding me? I'm just kidding you & kidding you! (She was teasing me.)
• Now let's see here... 
• Me: I wonder what time it is? Campbell: I think it's 30 o'clock. 
• Campbell already has a better sense of direction than I do - thank goodness! The other day we stopped to get some coffee in a strip mall a bit off the highway. I stayed in the car with the kids & Gabe went in. While we were waiting, Campbell pointed over to the road we exited onto from the highway and said "Mama, is this the way close to the road?
• Not too shabby breakfast (Meaning, this isn't too shabby of a breakfast.)
• Naps and time outs make me feel better. And sometimes make me sneeze.
• Me: What song do you want to sing to Blake? Campbell: Ah, Ah, Ah sticks 'n' snakes. (I have no idea where she came up with that, but isn't it just the perfect song for a boy!?!)
  
• (She started singing out of the blue while sitting on the potty.) Ah, Ah, Ah Grammy Sharon is the best. 

All of a sudden, something clicked with Campbell because she started randomly singing songs on her own. Is there anything sweeter than a 2 year old singing? I don't think so - it sounds like a little angel.Some favorites include:

• Twinkle, twinkle. 
• Songs from ECFE Class: Tick tock and the Name chant (Campbell's here today, Campbell's here today...yea...Campbell!). 
• Clean up song. 
• Old McDonald. 
• I'm a Little Teapot.
  
• some lines from Hey, Soul Sister...she said something like "soul sister on the radio".( I almost dropped over from that one. It's the song that plays on my blog, but I swear to you I hadn't played it in at least 2 weeks. But when I first put it on the blog we were dancing to it so it must have made an impression on her.)
  

I've been trying to think of words to describe Campbell's personality. I thought it was interesting to hear how Campbell's ECFE teacher referred to her the other day, when she said something along the lines of this: "She's not a child that does something halfheartedly. She goes all the way with her emotions."  And she sure does! Lately she's been learning to name her emotions, telling me that she's "so sad" (and puts her head down and makes a very sad looking face) and "so nervous". And she's "so happy" when I tell her it's nap time (meaning she doesn't think she needs a nap because she's magically not tired/cranky all of a sudden).

Campbell was very quiet for a while & this is what I found. Why wouldn't you put stickers all over your body & in your hair?!?

I just realized Campbell doesn't have pants on in any of these pictures. Yes, she does wear pants (when we're in public), but we've been working on the potty training thing.

Blake's First Christmas

Blake's first Christmas! Although I don't think he ever got a chance to even hold a present due to Campbell being so excited to open (everyone's) presents. Campbell kept saying 'oh my goodness' whenever she'd open a present - it was pretty funny.

It was a fun, action packed (6 parties in 4 days) Christmas. The kids did great. Especially Blake - we drug him around everywhere and even if he was tired/hungry/wet - he didn't complain - what a trooper! 

Campbell figured out how the whole Christmas thing works this year - basically she got presents everywhere she went for days on end. It's going to take a while to recover & get back to our normal life. Weeks afterward, Campbell is still asking me if it's Christmas again yet. And she plays a game where she wants help opening (alot of) pretend presents.

 

 

 

First Word - Hi

I was taking a nap & heard a bunch of commotion coming from downstairs. Nana & Papa had gotten Blake to say his FIRST WORD! He was waving & saying "hhhhhhiiiiiiiii". So sweet!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Themed Campbell-isms

• Me (singing): Santa Claus is coming to town! Campbell: No! Santa's NOSE is coming to town!
• Blake & Baby Jesus are cutie pies.  
• (When she bit the top off a Christmas cookie that was shaped like a candy cane:) Look Mama, my Christmas candy cane turned into a Christmas knife!
   

8 months!

Blake is such a happy, good natured, easy going little guy - I feel so lucky! A few things Blake is doing at 8 months:

• Blake is crawling around here like he owns the place. He can go everywhere now & he's even reaching up and trying to climb the steps. So far he's only reached the second step and his feet have stayed on the ground.
  
• If he's fed and not tired, he's content to explore on his own for long periods of time.
• He is so ticklish, especially on his stomach and has this great loud belly laugh. 
• He gave a real hug last weekend. Gabe hadn't seen him all morning and he kept putting his head on Gabe's chest & putting his arms out holding Gabe. He did it over & over. It was the sweetest thing. 
• I think he's just beginning to figure out waving. The other day I was making a meal in the kitchen & he was playing on the floor & I kept waving at him & he raised his little arm & did a sort of wave. 
• He's making a lot of different noises. 

This picture was taken on 12.13 & Blake had just started to reach up the stairs. Campbell covered the steps with her toys and Blake wanted so badly to participate. I had to laugh at how Campbell perched up there on the steps for a really long time, just as happy as could be. All of her toys out of the reach of her grabbing, 'spitting on my toys' (as she calls drooling) Baby Brother. 

 

Then just 4 days later, he's pulling himself up...slow down....please!

Here Comes Santa!

We've had a few encounters with Santa Claus lately. The first time was the week before Thanksgiving. I know - I know...Why was Santa Claus at the Mall before Thanksgiving? And more importantly, why did we go?  I thought we would beat the crowd & not have to wait in a huge line - much less chance for a breakdown! Campbell did great - she was putting on quite the show for Santa showing him how she could jump and spin in her 'pretty Christmas dress.' The first thing she said to Santa was 'why is your beard white?'  When he asked her what she wanted  for Christmas & she said 'Granty Baby wants a kitchen.' (Grant had pointed out a play kitchen in the Target catalog a while ago so Campbell has been obsessed with that.)

The next encounter was a Toys for Tots event that our realtor's company sponsors every year. Campbell was in heaven as she was eating a tree sugar cookie with tons of green sprinkles. If you look closely, you can see it all over her face. And Blake was his happy usual self. We even managed to get a family picture.

And this morning we went to the Macy's display with M & E. This is the second year we've braved downtown together & it's a fun tradition we've started. The girls (and Blake too) stared in amazement at  “A Day in the Life of an Elf.” The dancing/singing trees, the elves, the animals decorating the Christmas tree - it was a lot to take in for me, much less a couple 2 year olds and a baby. Campbell's favorite part was Rudolf trying to break out of the barn door - I think she would have stood there all day staring at it. Then we got a picture with Santa and ended the trip with a treat from Mrs. Claus' holiday bakery. This picture is by far my favorite this season. As you can see, Blake has started to get nervous when people other than Mama hold him.