Go here.

What a cool thing. Listen with a musician's ear to the sounds of these kids. They really are great.

http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm

Translation Game

Here's a fun thing to do. Translate these words, as Caleb says them. Post your entries in a comment so I can laugh at your guesses! The prize: the winner gets to spend the day with Caleb trying to figure out what he is saying!!

Hints: these are all nouns. It helps if you say them out loud and think like a two-year-old. Be sure your co-workers get you on video talking out loud with a puzzled look on your face!

Heepo
Seeba
Roar
Appa Doos
Murk
ooo-ooo-aah-ahh
gockie
buppy
pudduhs
bana
boors

Bonus:
Gorshes

These are all words that Caleb says a lot (another hint: most are animals and food/drink)

Say it Ain't so!!

Surely it's not time for Caleb to drop naps completely. He is inconsistent at best about sleeping when it's nap time. I have to make him get back in bed three or four times, and then I have to threaten with the sad spoon, and then I have to actually use the sad spoon two or even three times!! I know it's not becuase he isn't tired. He is tired! He ASKS to go night-night. He just keeps getting up a hundred times to see what he's missing. I hate to spank him before bed but it's the only thing that works. Unfortunately, he has to cry a little before he'll fall asleep. This is not every time, but on those days when he just won't lay still. Life with a two-year-old. It gets better.... it gets better.... it gets better...

Carly is getting professional pictures taken tomorrow for the first time ever. She is seriously getting shafted at home in the picture frame department. In our living room alone there are six framed pictures of Caleb. Three of them will soon be replaced with pictures of Carly so it won't look so lopsided. I made her a dress for the occasion, as well as added some cuteness to a pair of shorts. She is also going to wear her cute-as-can-be diaper cover with her name on it. Three outfits... I hope we can get some good shots!

What are the kiddos up to lately?

Caleb is talking up a storm. Every single day he says at least five things we have never heard him say before. My quiet stone-faced child is turning into a excitable and cheerful little intelectual. This morning he opened his door and stood at the gate and said, "Goo Mornin, goo mornin, goo morning, hello." He said them all in different tones of voice, so it sounded a bit like a song. I was in Carly's room next door feeding her and listening and just smiled to myself. I love hearing him when he doesn't know I am listening. This afternoon I watched from the doorway as he held a one-sided conversation with his sister. She was playing in the exersaucer and her face was riveted to his. He was telling her something, and calling her "Baby." That's why I know he was talking to her, and not just talking. I love this kid! He is learning his letters and numbers, not in any order, but he is soaking it in like a sponge. His favorite book this week is the cheerios play book where he counts the missing cheerios. His counding sequence goes like this, "one, two, four, five, nine, TEN!" No matter how hard I try, three is not going to happen. I think he's doing pretty good though. His alphabet puzzle is hilarious too. His favorite letters are the ones that end in -eee, like B, C, D, E, P, and T, and his favorite right now is K. I am simply amazed at how he has learned these, because we have not intentionally taught them to him. We just say the letter or sound when he does the puzzle. The highlight of my week was when he turned around and told me, "I wanna watch my fish show." I was floored. Six words??? In a row??? How? When? Okay!! Let's watch the fish show! (It's Finding Nemo, BTW.)

Carly is getting big, but staying little at the same time. She seems so tiny, but she is sitting up with help, and rolling around in the floor. Sometimes we can let go of her for about 10-15 seconds while she sits by herself. She is grabbing at things with her hands. Toys, shirts, hair, mom's cereal bowl, whatever is within her reach. It amazes me. The look she gets on her face when she is concentrating on putting that something in her mouth is priceless. She has recently decided that she hates naps, so today she cried herself to sleep for a good 20 minutes, then slept two hours and woke up happy. Silly baby. She laughs and smiles and sucks her fingers. She tries to get out of her carseat by straining as hard as she can to lift her head and body out, only to get mad that she is strapped in. Yesterday was a major milestone: she had baby food for the first time. Rice cereal, actually. I'm not sure if you can call that food, but it was something other than mommy milk. She ate it up yesterday, but today wasn't to excited about it. I got maybe 5 little spoonfuls in her mouth today. I guess that's good considering the weirdness of it to her. She smacked, gagged a couple of times, made spit bubbles with it, drooled it out onto her bib, and swallowed a little bit. I took pictures, which I will try to post tomorrow or so.

Growing up! I hate it. But I love it too. Oh the days when I can drop them both off at the grandparents all day and not have to worry about the little one. I know it is coming soon, and I'll miss these days, so I am cherishing them as much as I can.