Bilingual ramblings

I have always said that I wouldn't worry about that fact that Jeremy wasn't talking much until after he turned two.  The girls talked far before that, but everyone says most boys are different.  I think Jeremy heard me and totally understood.  He knows he turns two in a few days, and is adding new words like crazy. 

He now says "I love you".  Not spontaneously, but if you ask him, he'll sometimes say it with the sweetest smile.  I think he knows what he is saying, and it is my favorite thing!

He learned to say "hello" yesterday, and "yellow" today.  They sound exactly the same [ello], but he knows the difference.  He actually can distinguish and name blue [boo], green [neen], and yellow [ello] most of the time.  Oh, and maybe purple too!

Today when I lifted him out of the car after Stella's dance class, he walked up to the porch saying "hello, hola!, hello, hola!....".  He is either:
a:  a genius baby who went from almost mute to bilingual
b:  watching a lot of Dora and Diego
c:  just lucky with the combination of syllables he chose to test out.

I honestly have no idea which answer is correct.

This has nothing to do with Jeremy, but I wanted to write it while I thought of it because it made me giggle the other day.

John and the kids were watching tv and a car commercial came on:

John:  Sylvie, do you know what kind of car that is?
Sylvia:  A Honda?
John:  No, it's an Audi.
Sylvia:  Oh......I have an "Innie"

hahaha!!

There is a lot of focus on belly buttons around here, because Jeremy is obsessed with his and sometimes pulls his "innie" out!  Ugh.  next subject

I love these photos.  Sylvia is an amazing reader.  She loves reading for Stella's class, and often reads Jeremy his favorite books..."Goodnight Moon" or any of the Sandra Boynton books.  Here, she was reading to Jeremy as I got ready to give Stella a bath.  That is a HUGE help considering what a handful Stella is to get clean.  She goes from screaming at the top of her lungs because "a drop of water got near her eye" to singing songs with her own lyrics "I wash my body and my hiney butt..ooh yeah!".  Jeremy would definitely be trying to climb in that bath tub if it weren't for Sylvia!

and..by the way....Jeremy is still doing an awesome job potty training himself (I really feel that way). 
xoxo  Keri

approaching a milestone

Jeremy knows he is turning 2 in one week.  He must.  He is suddenly changing the way he does everything.  For one, kind of huge, I haven't changed a dirty diaper in a week and a half.  Craziness after 5 years of changing lots of them.  And slowly he is letting me know before he wets his diapers too. 

http://youtu.be/5LALBKFXmI0



He has tried to dress himself the last few mornings.  I put the shirt over his head and he insists on getting his arms in.  He sits there like he is in a straight jacket, and sometimes gets an arm in the right spot.  So sweet and independent.

He has added sooo many words at once.  Rock, worm, chin, baby, Stella, up, down.  So exciting. 

Possibly most exciting, is that he has been eating a little more variety, which is so huge to me.  I have force fed him a bit, which is probably frowned upon all over the place, but he will now sometimes willingly open his mouth for eggs, pears, carrots, bananas, cauliflower, chicken, and cheerios.  I have been convinced he would end up 40 yrs old refusing all vegetables and surviving on only peanut butter sandwiches.  And he has just all out refused to allow a cheerio in his mouth for his whole life.  Now he gobbles up those cheerios.  Woo hoo! 



and how crazy is it that this was a year ago. 

I accidentally took the same picture almost one year apart!  I wonder how many more years he would allow a bath-time ducky picture if I made it a tradition?  I will have to add some words for next week.  There is too much change happening too fast right now.  I think I should wait until the night before he turns two to add his accomplishments.  Who knows what amazing things he might do this week!

xoxo  Keri

mission accomplished

Back in December Sylvia wanted to get her ears pierced, and then when we got to the mall, not so much.  It was no rush, as far as I was concerned. I told both girls it would hurt, and it is holes in their own little ears, so I figured when they were ready, then we'd go. 
Sylvia decided maybe for her birthday, or next Christmas, or when she was turning twelve....
 
So, when Stella declared she wanted to get her ears pierced a week ago Monday, I didn't take her too seriously.


She wanted to know if she would be able to wear Dora earrings.  I told her someday she probably could, but not at first.  So she decided, that sounded great.  She wanted to get her ears pierced that night and promptly requested the phone so she could call Daddy and confirm her plans.

When Sylvia came home from school Stella told her the plan and requested that Sylvie go first.   "OK!". 

I called all of the places around us, but no one had two people working on a Monday night so it would have to be one at a time.  "No problem" they said. 

Sylvie winced a little, but no tears.  She bravely went forward with ear #2.

I really thought Stella would back out...but she hopped right up on the seat.  I put down the camera to hold her little hands.  She's tough, but she's only three... 

She showed no emotion after the first one.  AT ALL.  except to give Daddy a quick glare.  Ha! 

She was still be in her emotionless zone in the pic above.  However, a few minutes later and some time spent gazing in the mirror, they were both thrilled with their sparkling birthzone earrings.

 

mission accomplished.

xoxo  Keri