She's gonna eat it!

Evie puts everything in her mouth.  Which is normal.  Marea thinks it's hilarious, and will often say, 'Evie's gonna eat it!" when Evie grabs for something and heads for the mouth.  The funny part to me is how WET Evie is all the time.  The kid seriously produces an enormous amount of drool while mouthing everything.  I've resorted to putting bibs on her whenever she's playing with toys.  Because the front of her shirt is soaking wet afterwards if I don't.  

One fun game with like to play is the 'Evie Monster'.  Marea loves it when I have Evie go after her and say,' AHHHH, it's the Evie Monster!'  Evie likes to leave a big gob of wetness on Marea's head.  Payback!

We're back in the Coastline Parent Education class and Marea is loving it.(And so am I!) On the first day, she hid under the slide and cried when it was time to leave.  Marea never does stuff like that!  I think her favorite part of the class is the end, when we do the outside circle and do ring around rosie and the hokie pokie.  She's always smiling, laughing, and singing.  She also enjoys the art and crafts project and is always very excited to take her things home and show them to Gary.  She absolutely loved a pair of binoculars made from two toilet paper roll tubes.  She carried those around forever.   Her and Madison play together a lot in that class, mostly in the play house.  I think they are playing babies and families a lot.  I like the class because I am able to focus on thinking about what Marea is going through developmentally.  Which has been difficult for me lately because I still have a new baby at home.   So I really like that time where I get to think about where Marea is at.  The toddler years are such a fascinating time, and the discussions always get me thinking.   It's true that when you understand what they are going through, that the more difficult aspects are easier to handle.  

Don't Cook It!

The toddler power struggle can be SO frustrating.  And so entertaining and funny.  One of Marea's favorite control issues is asking for something to eat but not wanting me to cook it.  Like oatmeal (aka eatmeal).  She will ask for oatmeal, then tell me not to cook it, and cry when I do.  She cries when I heat anything up.   Always after asking for something to eat, the next phrase is, 'don't cook it!'

Another adorable thing she's been saying lately is 'Why not?'  What she really means is just 'why'.  It sounds so funny sometimes.  "Marea, please pick up your blocks....why not?", or "Marea, lets put your shoes on....why not?" and on and on about everything. 

The newest favorite game is her pretend family game.  Every imaginable thing becomes a family...every stuffed animal, figurine, doll, etc. becomes a mom, dad, big sister, and baby sister.  Even the forks from her play kitchen became family people yesterday. I couldn't help but laugh (secretly, of course!).  Mostly they go to bed or go to the potty.  Those are her favorite things to do with them.  Gary and I help her elaborate on this play and it can turn out very funny sometimes.  I just hope we don't give her some strange ideas.  Especially Gary.  His sense of humor can be so strange sometimes.  Why did I have to explain to him that The Simpsons is not appropriate for a 2 year old?

Now on to Miss Evie....She's just getting cuter by the second!  Her favorite thing to do right now is stand on our laps and interact with us.  She loves to grab my face and scream and laugh.  She's also miss grabby hands...I sit her up on the floor and she will grab for everything all at once.  (She can sit up now!).  It's like she can't make up her mind so she goes for everything.  And of course, it's straight into the mouth.  The baby decathalon is in effect around here.  It's the command center, doorway jumper, high chair, standing on our laps, floor time....eat and nap.  Her favorite book is Little Bee and her favorite toy is Sophie the Giraffe.  She is so darn wet all the time...she is the drool queen, and I have to keep a bib on her all the time so her clothes arn't soaked.   And now I must go, because she's up from her nap!