Random Things

Random things about Gabe:

• He's finally saying "Mama" with m's instead of n's. He's also getting a lot quicker at using his signs to communicate.
• He so wants to be big. As I write this, he's trying to put on my shoes and walk around. It seems he wants to wear everyone's shoes except his own!
• Chet noted a couple of weeks ago that Gabe and I seem to have something in common... we both like to put one knee up when we're sitting in a chair (you know, knee bent with that foot on the chair).
• He loves to dance, and it is hilarious! Raising his left shoulder up and down is one of his favorite moves.
• He has started to do Grandma Rosemary's "Big Ole Crow" to himself!
• He loves to read books. He opens them, turns the pages, and makes all kinds of sounds as if he's reading aloud to us. When he wants to find his "Five Little Monkeys" book, he starts waving his index finger around like he's saying, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Random things about Ladan:

• Ladan and I cooked pizza for the first time yesterday. He hasn't shown much interest in doing any kind of cooking, but we had a great time making our pizza yesterday.







• His imagination keeps getting wilder and wilder. He doesn't have imaginary friends... he just imagines that he's playing with his real friends. He has conversations with them, eats with them, and shares his toys with them. We also have to rid our home of gorillas and alligators fairly regularly so that everyone's safe.
• Ladan was talking to Gigi (Chet's mom) the other day, and he said his snow boots were at her house. She said, "Well, you'll need to bring your snow boots to my house when you come. Do you have snow pants?" He said, "No. I have snow shorts." It's clear that he's likely to be on this shorts kick for a good long while. At least he leaves his pant legs fully extended now when he wears them!
• He's developing quite the vocabulary and now seems kind of into finding syllables for things (although he doesn't know that's what they're called). For example, at dinner last night, he asked Chet if his pizza was "good". Chet said it was. Then Ladan asked if it was "yummy". Chet said it was. Then Ladan asked if it was "tasty". Chet said it was. Then Ladan asked if it was "delicious". Chet gave him the affirmative and commented on his developing vocabulary. These, of course, are not the most difficult words he knows, but it is kind of funny to hear him trying to find so many words that say the same thing.
• He is getting lots better at hitting the ball when Chet pitches to him. He doesn't even use a fat bat, and he's really good at it.
• His new challenge to himself is to hop on one foot an increasing number of times without putting the other foot down. So far he's up to two hops, but he's working on it.

Well, that's all for now. In just a few hours, I get to have girls' night with the Murray ladies and Lindsey Mikeska! I know Claire has some big plan in the works, and it's going to be great! YIPPEE!!!!!