Some New Things

As Lauren approaches her third birthday, we're really starting to see some new behaviors. It's always fun when she comes up with something new, but you always wonder just where that came from.

She's still loving snuggling with Mom and Dad: she asks to do that every morning and every night. Sometimes I think she's using it as a delay tactic, but most of the time it seems genuine. She's also still sleeping in her "sleeping bag." It's been a great tool to getting her to sleep since she's so excited about being in it. It's a little too small for her, truth be told, but she seems to enjoy sleeping all scrunched up.

-She loves saying little phrases and laughing and laughing about them. "Missit!" and "Dylan!" are her favorites. She also loves if you say them as well and giggles like a little loon while you do. Bonus points are given if you say them into her "microphone" that she got from Gymboree.

-Lauren is all about helping in the kitchen right now. She will drag in one of the dining chairs in to the counter and help you with whatever she can. She washes vegetables, repeatedly washes her hands, helps pour chopped-up foods into the pot, measures, and generally just makes things messier and take 4 times longer. It's wonderful, though, to have that time with her and that she has such a desire to help.

-She's continuing to play with language, which is always fun to hear. She still hasn't worked out the whole he/she thing, though occasionally she does get it right. She's working on putting together full sentences that describe what she's seeing and they're quite accurate. For example, in her Richard Scarry book there's a picture of Huckle putting his pants on his arm. She said, "She's putting hers pants on hers hand!" You really had to see her working through this to understand, but it was just wonderful to hear.

-I'm proud to report that she has learned left and right and can apply them. She learned it quickly through stamp time at Little Gym, where they put stamps on the kids' hands and feet while telling them whether it's right or left. She picked it up immediately, which was really neat to see!

-I'm also really seeing the effects of her Gymboree and Little Gym sessions. She's starting to be braver in running, jumping and climbing, and is becoming more and more coordinated. She attempted a rock wall on the playground recently and loves climbing on all the various ladders and bridges. I just love watching her interact with the world!