We have TWO Kids!

You might be saying, "duh!" But really, we have two kids now - as in not one kid and one baby or one kid and one toddler.

Anna is just getting bigger and bigger physically but also emotionally and cognitively as well. It was like we went on vacation with a baby and came home with a kid with an attitude.

"Anna, don't touch that."
"B-cuz why?"
"It's hot (dirty, dangerous...)."
"Why it hot?"

or how about this:

"MomMomMomMommmmmm!"

or how about this:

"Is this old?"
"Is this mine?"
"Is this yours?"
"Is this Ella's?"
"Who's is this?"
(sense a theme here?)

She's also really getting quite good at conjugating her verbs and pronouns. It amazes us she knows the difference between me, mine, I and uses them appropriately.

Little Miss Anna is Definitely! Two already and a Major Drama Queen.
"Mom, I'm crying!"
"Mom, Ella clunked me in my head."
"Mom, Ella poked me in eye."
"Mom, Ella is scweaming at me."
"No, Ella, it's my turn!"
"No, Ella you need share with me!"
"Mom you need kiss my clunk."
*please keep in mind that Ella does not really poke her sister in the eye or intentionally clunk her in the head - that's just Anna's version.*

In case you haven't guessed we do a lot of referreeing around here. But it's a good thing because their sisterly altercations are over and done with - Parental altercations take a bit longer to resolve. They can play with each other and Anna can tell me what happened almost as well as Ella - she just doesn't use as many words. There is actually so much sisterly love going on. We'll be at the grocery store or someplace else and the girls take the opportunity to introduce each other to strangers. "This is my baby sister, Anna." "This is Ella. This is sister." So totally cute and adorable.

One of our new favorites is, "Axshully." She is so funny, "Axshully no I need a drink juice - no drink milk." Which is typically followed by my saying, "Actually no, juice is not your choice, you may choose milk or water." Then she will say, "I choose milk." I love that she can use choose and actually and other stuff - and she has got the whole Taking Turns thing down! Her sister can't get one by her anymore at all!!!

She's kind of getting the idea of potty training but is still mostly clueless. Although she will tell us when she needs to go and she Very Much is motivated by wearing underwear. Just this morning I was getting the girls and myself ready for school and Anna comes running in as I'm combing my hair. "Uh oh Mom, I poop on couch." Crap! So I go running in - she hasn't pooped on the couch - she's actually peed on the chair. Just a *tad* confused about the whole bodily functions thing ;)

What we also thoroughly enjoy how polite the girls are - both of them are very good at please and thank you but part of Anna's growing up is to mimic us and her sister. So, although I appreciate the thank yous I don't exactly as much appreciate the method in which it's delivered - as in, "Thanks, Mom."

It is very fun having more time to spend with her and just be able to enjoy both girls. I don't feel like one of them is always getting the short shrift - they have a pretty good workable system where they both get mom time and alone time and sister time - Not sure how it works out but they both are just blossoming into more delightful children (or maybe it's just I have time to enjoy them more? :) )