Sisters

Little kids are funny.

I'm sure that anyone who has spent any amount of time around a little kid knows this. Their language development alone can create great laughs.

For example: Saturday night I was going to take Etta to a play group at the Seventh Day Adventist church (where I teach band). So I said, "Etta, do you want to go to a play group at the church?" She looked right at me and replied, "Are you KIDDING me?! I want to stay at MY home." Well, all Bob & I could do was look at each other & laugh. (And we ended up staying home so she could play...)

And this whole sister thing. While I was pregnant Etta was very excited (after a fashion) about "getting" a new baby. She has never really shown true, dangerous, jealousy. As a matter of fact she pretty much just ignores Mae all the time.

(Except for a couple of poking incidences. "I'm just giving her little pokes mommy.")

But on Friday I had my friend Angela over for a play date. She has a 5 year old little boy and an 8 month old little girl. As soon as they came in the door Etta LAID DOWN on Mae and started saying, "Dis is MY baby. Dis is MY sister. You can't have MY baby." After reassuring her that no one was going to take "her" baby she again left her alone.

[And on the flip side the 5 year old was telling his sister, " No Sophia, you can't have that toy. That toy isn't for babies." Etta wandered over and said, "No baby." That in turn made Dylan say, "You can't tell my sister what to do! She can play with whatever she wants to play with!"]

Mae loves her big sister. With a love that I can't even begin to understand right now. More of an idolization than anything else. One day Bob took Etta to a basketball game. I had just finished giving Mae her bottle. "Perfect," I thought, "I can put Mae on her floor gym and get dinner ready for when Bob & Etta get home". But it was not to be. Since Etta was not here - parallel playing - on the floor next to Mae, Mae was not at all happy to be all alone. Into the front pack she went.

This is how it is so much of the time. Etta just needs to be in the room for Mae to be happy. As long as she is within sight this baby is content. The almost 3-year old on the other hand..."No Baby Mae! It's MY turn!" Or, "No mommy, don't feed the baby, play with ME!" "No, I don't WANNA give Mae kisses." Etc., etc., etc. And yet, Mae still looks at her with adoration. (I kid you not.)

[So after ALL of that...]

Which is why it surprised me last week when I was going to put Mae down for a nap & needed to rearrange some things that Etta didn't freak. out. when I put Mae in her bed for a moment. Instead she climbed in and said, "Take pictures of us mommy!"

Well, I was more than happy to oblige.



And I think it made Mae happy too.



I mean, take a gander at the look on her face. You can see the love as she gazes at her sister. (Or maybe that's not love. But I would like to think it is!)



A bit different than were we were two months ago.

Really?

Etta: Mommy, did you just make a stinky?

Me: No, why?

Etta: Because it stinks in here!

Me: That's because YOU just made a stinky.

[I thought it was supposed to be this way with boys...]

Tea Party

A friend gave Etta a table clothe, clothe napkins & a hot pad for Christmas so we can play tea party. Works for us!!

Note that Nemo & Huckleberry joined us for a spot o' tea.

The teapot was a gift from Aunt Molly. Can't wait until we can have a tea party with her again!

Little Drummer Girl

For Christmas Grandma Cathy got Etta a real drum in Colonial Williamsburg. With a little pair of drumsticks.




At the library we had checked out "Little Drummer Boy" by Ezra Jack Keats. Etta loved the book and as soon as we got home from Grandma's with the new drum she had to play "pa pa rum pum" while I read her the book.

Cute

Just 'cause they're cute...

Christmas Lights!

Etta loves the lights at Locomotive Park. We did not get to go as often this year as last, but I think we still got down there six or seven times for her to enjoy.

The penguins are her favorite! She likes to hug each of them.



And since she also loves trains, the fact that she can "drive" one is out of this world!



The gingerbread men were a new addition this year. Of course we had to get a photo.



And dancing with her best guy.



And a final train photo op.

Play time

I have been loving watching Etta play. Her imagination is expanding every day and she is just too cute.

Grandma Barb got her a Thomas the Tank Engine set which she loves and Aunt Molly got her a Little People play house that she also loves. Santa brought a Little People Nativity which was also a hit. Almost every day we set up the train track and then put ALL of her Little People stuff around like a city. I think that I enjoy it at least as much as she does.

The barn was from Barb for Etta's 1st birthday. The bus was from Cathy just for fun. She also picked up a Grandma & Grandpa set too. We used Lincoln Logs to build fences and roads. The Little People house is a "hotel" where the people stay & eat after they get off the bus. The manger is the train station and people can visit Baby Jesus.

And maybe a bit disturbing...Etta has been putting various people on the track and having the train run them over. Which usually causes a derailment also. All in good fun I hope.